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BOOKS    FOR   COLLECTORS 

With  Frontispieces  and  many  Illustrations 
Large  Crown  Svo,  clotk. 

CHATS  ON   ENGLISH    CHINA. 

By  Arthur  Hayden. 

CHATS   ON   OLD    FURNITURE. 

By  Arthur  Hayden. 

CHATS    ON    OLD    PRINTS. 

(How  to  collect  and  value  Old  Engravingrs.) 

By  Arthur  Hayden. 

CHATS   ON   COSTUME. 

By  G.  WOOLLISCROFT  RHEAD. 

CHATS   ON   OLD    LACE   AND   NEEDLEWORK. 

By  E.  L,  Lowes. 

CHATS   ON   ORIENTAL   CHINA. 

By  J.  F.  Blacker. 

CHATS  ON   OLD   MINIATURES. 

By  J.  J.  Foster,  F.S.A. 

CHATS   ON    ENGLISH    EARTHENWARE. 

By  Arthur  Hayden.  »  ^ 

CHATS    ON    AUTOGRAPHS. 

By  A.  M.  Broadley. 

CHATS   ON    PEWTER. 

By  H.  J.  L.  J.  MASSi,  M.A. 

CHATS    ON    POSTAGE    STAMPS. 

By  Fred.  J.  Melville. 

CHATS   ON   OLD   JEWELLERY   AND   TRINKETS 

By  MacIver  Percival. 

CHATS  ON  COTTAGE  AND  FARMHOUSE  FURNITURE. 

By  Arthur  Hayden. 

CHATS   ON    OLD    COINS. 

By  Fred.  W.  Burgess. 

CHATS   ON   OLD    COPPER   AND    BRASS. 

By  Fred.  W.  Burgess. 

CHATS   ON    HOUSEHOLD   CURIOS. 

By  Fred.  W.  Burgess. 

CHATS  ON  OLD  SILVER. 

By  Arthur  Hayden. 

CHATS   ON   JAPANESE    PRINTS. 

By  Arthur  Davison  Ficke. 

CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURI05. 

By  Stanley  C.  Johnson. 

In  Preparation, 

CHATS   ON    BARGAINS. 

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CHATS  ON  OLD  CLOCKS  AND  WATCHES. 

By  Arthur  Hayden. 

LONDON  :  T.   FISHER   UNWIN,  LTD. 
NEW  YORK  :   F.   A.   STOKES  COMPANY. 


CHATS    ON 
MILITARY    CURIOS 


•  •     •  •«   •  •     • 


•  »••  _•.•••  • 


1 


•  ••  •  v»< 


•  •         •     •  • 


t»     *  ' *'       ••»••• 


BRONZE    MEDALLION   OF   THE   DUKE   OF   WELLINGTON. 


Frontispiece. 


Chats  on 
Military  Curios 


BY 


STANLEY    C    JOHNSON 

M.A.,  D.Sc,  F.R.E.S. 


li^d^i^V 


• » J  »* » * »» 


1-  - 


WITH    EIGHTY    ILLUSTRATIONS 


NEW  YORK 

FREDERICK  A.   STOKES   COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS 


■/.  ^ 


^A. 


> 


t<? 


TO 
[  i  G-   M.  J. 

rXtitS   BOOK   IS   GRATEFULLY 
DEDICATED 


(All  rights  reserved) 

PRINTED  IN  GREAT  BRITAIN 


CONTENTS 


LIST  OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 
13 


CHAPTER  I 
INTRODUCTION.  .  .  .  .  .17 

Preliminary  considerations — Where  to  search  for  curios — 
What  to  search  for — Specializing — Undesirable  curios — The 
catalogue  of  the  Royal  United  Service  Museum — Public 
collections  of  military  curios 

CHAPTER  n 
REGIMENTAL   NOMENCLATURE   .  .  .  .27 

Household  Cavalry — Dragoon  Guards — Cavalry — Artillery 
— Engineers — Guards  —  Infantry,  both  past  and  present 
nomenclature — Other  units 


CHAPTER  HI 


REGIMENTAL   CRESTS 


The  fascination  of  regimental  crests — How  to  plan  a  collec- 
tion of  crests — The  changes  which  crests  undergo — The 
meaming  of  crests — Mottoes  on  crests,  and  their  meanings 


CHAPTER  IV 


MILITARY  UNIFORMS 


The  growth  of  uniforms — The  effect  of  the  decline  in  armour 
on  uniforms — The  part  played  by  Elizabeth — Uniforms  in 
the  time  of^the  Civil  War — In  Charles  II's  reign — ^James  II 
— The  first  two  Georges — Uniforms  in  the  Peninsular  War — 
The  close-fitting  uniforms  of  George  IV — The  changes  which 
were  brought  about  in  William  IV's  time — L#ater  changes — 
Peculiarities  of  the  military  dress  of  to-day 
9 


39 


•     53 


442271 


10 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  V 


ARMOUR 


The  scarcity  of  good  armour  —  Considerations  for  the 
collector  —  Counterfeit  armour  —  The  twelve  periods  in 
armour — The  characteristics  of  each  period — Glossary 


CHAPTER  VI 


WEAPONS 


69 


89 


Buying  specimens — Storing '  them — Hand  culverins — The 
serpentin — The  wheel-lock — The  flint-lock — The  rifle — 
Swords — The  effect  of  armour  on  swords — Swords  with 
historical  associations — Other  weapons 


CHAPTER    VH 
EARLY   BRITISH   WAR   MEDALS    .  .  .  •    I05 

How  to  arrange  a  collection  of  medals — Factors  which 
influence  the  value  of  a  medal — The  earliest  medals — The 
first  English  medal — The  first  English  military  medal — The 
Forlorn  Hope  medal — The  Dunbar  medal — The  Culloden 
medal — Medals  granted  by  the  Honourable  East  India  Com- 
pany— The  Pope's  medal,  1793 — The  Emperor  Francis  II 
of  Germany's  medal,  1794 — The  Seringapatam  medal — The 
Egyptian  medal,  1801 — The  Rodriguez  medal — The  Nepaul 
medal — The  Maida  medal — The  Peninsular  Officers'  medal 

CHAPTER  VIII 
MILITARY   MEDALS   STRUCK   BY  THE  MINT  .  -135 

Campaign  medals  considered — Waterloo — Burmah — China — 
Cabul — Jellalabad — Scinde — Meanee — Sobroan — The  men's 
Peninsular  medal — Punjab — Indian  General  Service  medals 
— South  Africa,  1850-3;  also  1877-9 — Baltic — Crimea — 
Indian    Mutiny — Abyssinia — New   Zealand — Later   awards 

CHAPTER  IX 


MILITARY    DECORATIONS 
VICES 


AWARDED    FOR    SPECIAL    SER- 


The  necessity  for  special  awards — The  Victoria  Cross — The 
Order  of  Merit— The  **  Distinguished  Conduct  in  the  Field  " 


163 


CONTENTS 


11 


award — The  Distinguished  Service  Order — The  Meritorious 
Service  award — The  Long  Service  and  Good  Conduct 
award— The  **BeseShot"  rtledal— Volunteer  decorations — 
Other  decorations 


CHAPTER  X 


MILITARY   MEDALLIONS 


l8l 


L 


General  considerations — The  "  lost  wax  "  process — Had- 
rian's medallions  —  Renaissance  examples  —  Simon,  the 
medallist — Wyon's  work — Public  collections — Some  noted 
medallions  described 


CHAPTER  XI 


MILITARY   PRINTS  ..... 

The  period  1750-1860 — Works  including  military  prints — 
Where  to  search  for  bargains — Tne  kind  of  print  most 
sought  after  —  Works  including  fine  military  prints  — 
Bunbury — Gillray 

CHAPTER   XH 
MEMORIAL   BRASSES   OF   MILITARY   INTEREST     . 

Classes  of  military  brasses — Rubbings  and  how  to  make 
them  —  Floor  brasses,  their  characteristics  —  Palimpset 
brasses — What  may  be  learnt  from  brasses — Mural  tablets 

CHAPTER  XHI 
AUTOGRAPHS   OF   GREAT   SOLDIERS 

The  fascination  of  autograph  collecting  —  Points  which 
influence  the  value  of  an  autograph — Autographs  classified — 
A  "Schomberg"  letter — The  notes  scribbled  by  Airey  at 
Balaclava — General  hints — Prices  of  autographs 

CHAPTER   XIV 


195 


209 


221 


WAR    POSTAGE   STAMPS  .  .  .  .  . 

The  earliest  war  stamps — Stamps  used  in  the  Crimean  War 
— The  British  Array  Post  Office  Corps — The  Sudan  Expedi- 
tion— The  South  African  campaign — The  Great  War — 
Recent  war  stamps  and  post-marks — Indian  war  stamps — 
Other  war  stamps 


241 


12  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  XV 

PACK 
WAR  MONEY       ......   261 

French  obsidional  notes — Mafeking  notes — The  Napoleonic 
assignats — Charles  II  and  University  plate — Mints  at 
Carlisle,  Beeston,  Scarborough,  Newark,  Colchester,  and 
Pontefract — Irish  gun  money 

CHAPTER   XVI 
CURIOS  MADE  BY  PRISONERS   OF   WAR  .  .    287 

Objects  recently  made  in  Holland  —  The  Napoleonic 
prisoners  at  Norman  Cross,  Perth,  Dartmoor,  Stapleton, 
Liverpool,  and  Greenland  Valleyfield 

CHAPTER  XVII 
MISCELLANEOUS    MILITARY   CURIOS  .  .  .    299 

Considerations  respecting  miscellaneous  curios — Battlefield 
souvenirs — Regimental  colours  —  Odds  and  ends  of  dress 
equipment — Books  and  newspapers  of  military  interest — 
Royal  souvenirs — Official  military  documents — Gruesome 
relics — Relics  of  the  Great  War 

CHAPTER  XVIII 
A   HISTORY   OF   ONE'S   COLLECTION 

Reasons  for  compiling  a  history  of  one's  collection — The 
part  played  by  photographs  —  Armour  suggested  as  an 
example — Material  for  grangerizing 

BIBLIOGRAPHY   ..... 


INDEX 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


LIST  OF  PLATES 

A  BRONZE  MEDALLION  OF  THE  DUKE  OF  WELLINGTON 


I 


Frontispiece 

PAGE 
UEEN    victoria's    CHOCOLATE    BOX    SENT    TO    THE    SOLDIERS 

FIGHTING    IN    SOUTH     AFRICA,     IQOO  .  .  .2$ 

PRINCESS     MARY'S     CHRISTMAS    BOX     SENT     TO    THE    SOLDIERS 

FIGHTING  IN  FRANCE  AND  BELGIUM,    I914  .  .  .23 

BADGE    OF    THE    QUEEN'S    (ROYAL    WEST    SURREY    REGIMENT) 

2ND  FOOT  .  .  .  .  .  .  .33 

BADGE  OF  THE  DUKE  OF  EDINBURGH'S  (WILTSHIRE  REGIMENT)  33 
BADGE  OF  THE  KING'S   (LIVERPOOL   REGIMENT)    .  .  -33 

RADGE  OF  THE   ROYAL  WARWICKSHIRE  REGIMENT  .  .      33 

BADGE  OF  THE  ROYAL  DUBLIN   FUSILIERS  .  .  .43 

DGE  OF  THE  ROYAL  FUSILIERS  (CITY  OF  LONDON  REGIMENT)  43 
BADGE  OF  THE  SEAFORTH  HIGHLANDERS  (5TH  BATTALION)  .  43 
BADGE  OF  THE   ROYAL   REGIMENT  OF  ARTILLERY  .  .      43 

SOME  REGIMENTAL  BUTTONS  .  .  .  •  -49 

A     HORSE     AMULET     BEARING     THE     DEVICE     OF     THE      ROYAL 

FUSILIERS  .  .  .  .  .  .  .57 

HELMET  PLATE  OF  THE  ROYAL  MARINE   LIGHT  INFANTRY  .      57 

A  SLEEVE  FROM  A  COAT  OF  THE  OLD  2ND  (SOUTH  MIDDLESEX) 

VOLUNTEER  REGIMENT  .  .  .  .  .67 

BELT  BUCKLE  FROM  THE  SAME   REGIMENT  .  .  .67 

A  FLINT-LOCK   PISTOL            .               .                .  .  •  -77 

THE  ACTION   PART  OF  THE  ABOVE              .  .  .  '77 

THE  BARREL   OF   A  GUN     ORNAMENTED     WITH  A  TWIN  HEAD 

OF   MINERVA       .                .                .                .  .  .  .85 

AN   OLD  POWDER-FLASK       .  •  .  .  .  .85 

13 


14 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


A  SOUTH  AFRICAN  POM-POM  SHELL  AND  A  MARTINI-HENRI 
CARTRIDGE 

CARTRIDGES  AS  USED  IN  THE  GREAT  WAR.  FROM  LEFT  TO 
RIGHT  :  GERMAN,   FRENCH,  BELGIAN,   AND  BRITISH 

AN  OLD  SWORD   WITH  STRAIGHT  CROSS-GUARDS 

AN  ITALIAN  DAGGER  HAVING  A  REPLICA  OF  THE  FAMOUS 
COLUMN  OF  ST.   MARK  FOR  GRIP 

ROYALIST  BADGE  WORN  BY  THE  PARTISANS  OF  CHARLES   I 

THE  CRIMEAN   MEDAL 

THE  GENERAL  SERVICE  MEDAL,   I793-I814 

THE  AFGHAN  MEDAL 

SOUTH  AFRICAN  MEDAL,   1877-9 

THE  INDIAN  MUTINY  MEDAL 

THE  CHINA  MEDAL,   1842-60 

THE  EGYPTIAN  MEDAL,   1882-9 

THE  SUTLEJ  MEDAL 

THE  PUNJAB  MEDAL 

THE  THIRD  INDIAN   GENERAL  SERVICE  MEDAL 

THE  QUEEN  AND  KING'S  SOUTH  AFRICAN  MEDALS,   I899-I902 
(The  same  reverse  was  used  for  both  pieces) 

A  CHECK  TO   CORSICAN  ASSURANCE 
By  Cruikshank 

NAPOLEON'S  CARRIAGE  ARRIVING  AT  THE   LONDON   MUSEUM 
By  Cruikshank 

A  SINGULAR  TRAIT  OF  BUONAPARTE'S  FAVOURITE  MAMELUKE 

By  Cruikshank 

A  BATTLEFIELD  SOUVENIR  PICKED  UP  ON  THE  PLAINS  OF 
FLANDERS 

(The  same  helmet  is  shown  with  and  without  the  cloth  covering) 

A  BATTLEFIELD  SOUVENIR  BEARING  VERSES  SHOWING  THE 
BLOODTHIRSTY  NATURE  OF  THE  TYROLESE  PEASANT  AND 
SOLDIER  ....... 

AN  OLD  MUG  BEARING  THE  FAMOUS  PICTURE  DEPICTING 
"THE  DEATH   OF  WOLFE"       .  .  .  .  . 

A  SOLDIER'S  COMMUNICATION  POSTED  DURING  THE  SOUTH 
AFRICAN  WAR  ....... 

A  SIMILAR  COMMUNICATION    FROM    "SOMEWHERE  IN  FRANCE" 

A  POST-CARD  RECEIVED  FROM  A  SOLDIER  IN  FRANCE  BEARING 
STEREOTYPED  GREETINGS         ..... 

MONEY  OF  THE  GREAT  REBELLION,    1642-9 

(I,  Newark  sixpence— 2.  Colchester  gold  half  unite— 3.  Pontefract  two- 
shilling  piece— 4.  Ormond  half-crown— 5.  Dublin  crown  of  Charles  II) 


93 

93 
Id 

lOI 

109 
117 
123 
123 
123 
133 
145 
145 
157 
157 
157 
171 

191 
199. 


fl 


217 

227 
237 

245 
245 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


15 


lUN   MONEY  OF  JAMES  II    . 

(I,  Sixpence— 2.  Sixpence— 3.  Shilling— 4.  Shilling— 5.  Half-crown— 
6.  Half-crown— 7.  Half-crown— 8.  Half-crown) 

GUN  MONEY  OF  JAMES  II    . 

(9.  Shilling— 10.  Shilling— II.  Half-crown— 12.  Half-crown — 13.  Half- 
crown — 14.  Crown— 15.  Crown— 16.  Limerick  farthing) 

PAPER  MONEY  OF  THE  FRENCH   REPUBLIC,    1793 

OBSIDIONAL   HALF-FRANC  NOTE  OF  EPERNAY       . 

OBSIDIONAL  FRANC  NOTE  OF   EPERNAY    .  .  .  . 

A  NEWSPAPER   POSTER  WHICH   TOLD   OF  WELCOME   NEWS 

A  SET  OF  BONE  DOMINOES  CARVED  BY  PRISONERS  TAKEN  IN 
THE  NAPOLEONIC  WARS,  AND  INTERNED  IN  THE  NEIGH- 
BOURHOOD OF  PETERBOROUGH  .  .  .  . 
INTERESTING  BROADSIDE  PRINTED  AT  THE  FAMOUS 
CATNACH  PRESS,  BEING  ONE  OF  A  SERIES  DESCRIBING 
INCIDENTS  IN  THE   LIFE  OF  A  SOLDIER 

ILLUSTRATIONS  IN  THE  TEXT 


r 


ARMOUR  HEADGEAR      ...... 

WEAPONS   ........ 

A  MEDALLION  STRUCK  IN   HONOUR  OF  JULIUS  CiESAR    . 

MEDALLION   COMMEMORATING  THE    VICTORY    OF    THE    BATTLE 
OF  THE  BOYNE  .  .  .  .  .  . 

MEDALLION   COMMEMORATING  THE   FALL  OF   JAMES  11     . 

TWO  MARLBOROUGH   MEDALLIONS  .  .  .  . 

MEDALLION  COMMEMORATING  THE  BATTLE    OF  OUDENARDE      . 
MEDALLION  COMMEMORATING  THE  SURRENDER  OF  LILLE 
MEDALLION  COMMEMORATING  THE  BATTLE   OF  DUNBLANE 
MEDALLION   COMMEMORATING  THE  BATTLE  OF   DETTINGEN 
MEDALLION   COMMEMORATING   THE  BATTLE   OF  MINDEN 
THE  OLDEST  ENGLISH   BRASS  ..... 

FACSIMILE  OF  A  PORTION  OF  A  LETTER  WRITTEN  BY 
CROMWELL  TO  LENTHALL,  ANNOUNCING  THE  VICTORY 
OF  NASEBY  ....... 

AUTOGRAPH  LETTER  WRITTEN  BY  NAPOLEON  III  TO  WILLIAM  I 
OF  GERMANY  AFTER  THE  BATTLE  OF  SEDAN 

SOME  AUTOGRAPHS  OF  NOTED  SOLDIERS 

SOME      HISTORIC      POST-MARKS     USED      ON      MILITARY      CORRE- 
SPONDENCE      ....... 

A  CUTTING   FROM   "THE  TIMES"  OF  NOVEMBER  9,    I796 


271 

277 

283 
291 
291 
297 

297 


75 

99 

186 

187 
187 
188 
189 
189 
190 
190 
193 
215 

225 

231 
23s 

252 
308 


A  CKNO  WLEDGMENT 


The  Author  wishes  to  acknowledge  his  indebtedness  to 
Dr.  Philip  Nelson  for  the  loan  of  the  valuable  coins 
which  figure  in  the  illustrations  on  pages  265,  271, 
and  277  /  to  Mr.  Tom  Satterthwaite  for  the  loan  of 
many  of  the  medals  depicted  in  these  pages ;  to  Mr. 
Leonard  Baggott  for  the  loan  of  arms ;  to  Messrs. 
Henry  Sotheran  for  permission  to  reproduce  three 
Cruikshank  prints  ;  to  Messrs.  Spink  &  Son  for  per- 
mission to  reproduce  the  Royalist  Badge ;  also  to  Mr. 
Edwin  fohnson^  B.Sc,  and  Mr,  fames  Pry  or  for  the 
loan  of  various  curios  included  in  the  following  pages. 
The  Author  also  wishes  to  state  that  in  forming 
his  own  collection  of  military  curios  he  has  gained 
much  helpful  assistance  from  "  The  Connoisseur " ; 
from  C,  H,  AshdowtHs  ''^British  and  Foreign  Arms 
and  Armour" ;  from  f.  H.  Mayds  ^''Medals  and 
Decorations  of  the  British  Army  and  Navy" ;  from 
D.  H.  Irwin's  "  War  Medals  and  Decorations" ; 
from  Ralph  Nevilles  "  British  Military  Prints  "  ;  from 
Edward  Beaumont's  works  dealing  with  Brasses  ;  and 
from  the  authorities  of  the  Royal  United  Service 
Museum, 


INTRODUCTION 


HAPTER     I 


INTRODUCTION 


I 


m 


Preliminary  considerations — Where  to   search    for   curios — What  to 

search  for — Specializing — Undesirable  curios — The  catalogue  of 

the    Royal    United     Service     Museum  —  Public     collections  of 
military  curios 

For  centuries  past  the  collection  of  military  curios 
has  been  the  select  pastime  of  men  of  title  and 
soldiers  of  rank.  Lately,  however,  owing  to  the 
War  and  the  great  spread  of  interest  in  all  things 
pertaining  to  it,  the  circle  of  collectors  has  con- 
siderably widened,  until  to-day  few  things  are  more 
treasured  by  connoisseurs  than  the  thousand  and 
one  souvenirs  and  emblems  which  emanate  from 
our  Army. 

Most  forms  of  collecting  require  the  expenditure 
of  much  capital,  but  this  is  not  one  of  the  draw- 
backs which  confront  the  seeker  after  military  curios. 
For  a  few  pence  an  old-fashioned  bayonet  can  be 
picked  up ;  a  rifle  bearing  a  date  in  last  century 
will  cost  but  a  trifle  more,  whilst  such  odds  and 
ends  as  badges  and  tunic  buttons  may  be  had  for 
almost  nothing. 

Of  course,  a  good  deal  depends  on  knowing  where 

2  19 


20         (M^VfS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

^ to  search jQr\ Measures.  The  old  curiosity  shops  are 
capital  hunting-grounds,  but  second-hand  dealers  who 
make  a  practice  of  buying  up  the  contents  of  whole 
houses  are  even  better.  These  people  seem  to  get 
an  accumulation  of  odd  material  which  is  difficult 
to  classify,  and  therefore  hard  to  sell.  It  is  hidden 
away  among  these  effects  that  the  collector  will 
probably  alight  upon  his  finest  discoveries. 

Some  of  our  own  experiences  in  the  matter  of 
bargain  finding  may  be  worth  detailing.  At  Rag 
Fair,  last  Christmas,  we  were  asked  half  a  guinea 
for  six  perfect  but  very  much  begrimed  medals,  one 
of  which  was  for  the  Defence  of  Lucknow.  Needless 
to  add,  the  set  was  worth  many  pounds  when  cleaned 
and  fitted  with  fresh  ribbons.  On  a  stall  in  Far- 
ringdon  Road  we  recently  picked  up  a  few  helmet 
badges,  some  of  which  bore  the  old  regimental 
numbers  used  prior  to  1881,  at  twopence  apiece. 
And  elsewhere  a  few  weeks  back  we  chanced  upon 
a  bag  full  of  military  buttons,  for  which  the  dealer 
asked  a  shilling. 

If  we  wish  to  form  our  collections  quickly  the  best 
plan  will  be  to  get  in  touch  with  one  of  the  first- 
class  firms  who  regularly  keep  an  exhaustive  stock 
of  military  curios,  and  who  can  supply  almost  any- 
thing we  need  ;  but  for  our  part  we  prefer  to  enter 
upon  the  work  slowly  and  pick  up  treasures  here  and 
there  at  tempting  prices.  Doubtless  there  are  capital 
hunting-grounds  where  bargains  may  be  found  in 
almost  every  town,  but  in  London  our  favourite 
haunts  are  Rag  Fair,  held  on  Fridays  in  the  Cale- 
donian   Meat    Market;    the    stalls    in    Farringdon 


INTRODUCTION 


21 


Road,  Hounsditch,  and  Middlesex  Street ;  the  shops 
in  Praed  Street ;  and,  lastly,  Charing  Cross  Road — 
the  latter  only  for  books  and  prints.  Of  course  a 
good  deal  of  material  may  be  obtained  cheaply  by 
keeping  an  eye  on  the  bargain  advertisements  found 
in  certain  newspapers.  The  Bazaar^  Exchange  and 
Marty  for  instance,  regularly  contains  notices  of 
guns,  medals,  autographs,  and  such-like  objects  for 
sale,  often  at  prices  ridiculously  low.  It  is  thus 
clear  that  there  is  no  lack  in  the  sources  of  supply 
if  only  we  can  get  in  touch  with  them. 

With  many  forms  of  collecting  there  is  a  certain 
sameness  about  the  things  collected  which  is  apt  to 
produce  monotony :  with  military  curios,  however, 
the  treasures  cover  so  wide  a  field  that  no  such 
drawback  can  exist.  The  following  list  will  give 
a  fair  idea  of  the  different  objects  which  come  within 
our  present  range  : — 

Medals,  helmet  and  cap-badges,  tunic  buttons, 
armour  pieces,  firearms,  weapons  of  all  kinds  as 
long  as  they  have  a  military  connection,  medallions 
struck  to  celebrate  military  events,  autographs  of 
famous  soldiers,  original  documents  relating  to  army 
work,  military  pictures  and  prints,  newspaper  cut- 
tings referring  to  military  matters,  obsolete  uniforms 
including  such  fragments  as  sabre-taches,  gorgets, 
epaulettes,  etc.,  and,  lastly,  stamps  and  post-marks 
which  have  franked  the  correspondence  of  soldiers 
on  active  service. 

The  list  is  a  somewhat  lengthy  one,  and  to  endea- 
vour to  amass  a  representative  collection  of  all  the 
things  enumerated  would  be  a  formidable  task.     It 


22         CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

is,  therefore,  much  the  wisest  plan  either  to  collect 
the  above  objects  in  a  general  way,  specializing  at 
the  same  time  in  two  or  three  definite  directions,  or 
else  to  collect  everything  possible  pertaining  to  one 
definite  regiment.  The  latter  method  is,  of  course, 
the  one  which  appeals  most  to  army  men  and  their 
immediate  friends. 

Those  of  us  who  elect  to  confine  our  attentions  to 
regimental  collecting  should  first  procure  a  history 
of  the  regiment  selected.  From  this  work  we  shall 
then  be  able  to  find  out  what  battles  our  chosen  unit 
has  fought  in ;  what  particular  history  it  possesses ; 
what  noted  soldiers  have  brought  it  fame ;  where  it 
has  been  quartered  from  time  to  time ;  what  customs 
specially  belong  to  it ;  what  changes  have  been  made 
in  its  dress,  and  so  forth.  Such  knowledge  will 
afford  us  much  help ;  it  will  teach  us  what  objects 
to  seek  for  and  what  to  pass  over.  We  shall  not  be 
led  to  search,  say,  for  a  Ghuznee  medal  if  our  chosen 
regiment  was  formed  later  than  1842,  nor  shall  we 
hunt  through  the  files  of  The  Times  for  Wellington's 
dispatches  concerning  the  Battle  of  Waterloo  if  our 
regiment  took  no  part  in  the  campaign. 

There  are  one  or  two  kinds  of  military  curios 
which  we  should  not  attempt  to  collect.  First,  we 
should  avoid  all  such  large  objects  as  take  up  more 
house-room  than  we  can  afford  to  spare  them,  and 
secondly,  we  should  refrain  from  accepting  objects 
the  genuineness  of  which  it  is  impossible  to  verify. 
Concerning  this  latter  class,  it  may  be  appropriate  to 
mention  that  we  have  never  visited  the  battlefield  of 


QUEEN    victoria's   CHOCOLATE   BOX   SENT   TO   THE   SOLDIERS 
FIGHTING   IN   SOUTH    AFRICA,    IQGG. 


PRINCESS   MARYS   CHRLSTMAS   IJUX   SENT    TO   THE   SOLDIERS    FIGHTING 
IN   FRANCE  AND   BELGIUM,   1914. 


INTRODUCTION 


25 


Waterloo  without  meeting  a  particularly  eloquent 
man  who  always  tells  us  that  he  has  just  had  the 
good  fortune  to  dig  up  some  trophy  or  other  of  the 
famous  fight.  Naturally  he  is  prepared  to  let  us 
share  in  his  good  fortune,  and  consequently  names  a 
price  for  the  article.  Needless  to  say,  the  country 
of  origin  of  the  trophy  is  Germany,  and  the  date  of 
construction  some  time  in  the  twentieth  century. 
Probably,  other  battlefields  besides  the  one  at 
Waterloo  are  infested  with  unscrupulous  curio 
vendors,  so  that  the  collector  will  be  well  advised  if 
he  refrains  from  purchasing  any  article  unless  pro- 
perly authenticated — especially  on  battlefields. 

In  many  branches  of  collecting  comprehensive 
catalogues  have  been  published  which  enable  the 
student  to  classify,  arrange,  and  price  every  piece 
among  his  treasures.  With  military  curios,  however, 
no  such  publications  exist,  but  a  very  useful  guide  is 
the  official  catalogue  issued  by  the  Royal  United 
Service  Museum  in  Whitehall.  The  Museum  itself  is 
well  worth  frequent  visits,  for  it  is  only  by  constant 
inspection  of  such  exhibits  as  those  displayed  in  this 
gallery  that  we  can  get  to  know  of  the  existence  of 
certain  curios  and  of  the  shape,  texture,  and  pattern 
of  others.  The  Museum  possesses  particularly  fine 
exhibits  of  medals,  even  of  the  earlier  types ;  of 
uniforms,  especially  head-pieces ;  of  regimental 
banners,  and  such  weapons  as  swords  and  rifles. 

The  United  Service  Museum  is  by  no  means  the 
only  treasure-house  of  interest  to  collectors  of  military 
curios.  The  Tower  of  London,  the  Wallace  Col- 
lection, and  the  Rotunda  at  Woolwich,  each  possess 


26 


CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 


much  that  is  worth  inspecting  in  the  way  of  armour 
and  weapons,  whilst  the  British  Museum  has  a 
collection  of  medals  which  is  almost  unique.  The 
traveller  on  the  Continent  will  find  many  instructive 
exhibits  in  the  Musde  d'Artillerie  at  Paris,  the  Rijks 
Museum  at  Amsterdam,  and  the  National  Museum 
at  Copenhagen. 


REGIMENTAL 
NOMENCLATURE 


26 


CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 


much  that  is  worth  inspecting  in  the  way  of  armour 
and  weapons,  whilst  the  British  Museum  has  a 
collection  of  medals  which  is  almost  unique.  The 
traveller  on  the  Continent  will  find  many  instructive 
exhibits  in  the  Musde  d'Artillerie  at  Paris,  the  Rijks 
Museum  at  Amsterdam,  and  the  National  Museum 
at  Copenhagen. 


REGIMENTAL 
NOMENCLATURE 


30        CHATS  ON   MILITARY  CURIOS 

King's   Army  are  therefore  considerably  above  two 
hundred  in  number: — 

Household  Cavalry: 
1st  Life  Guards. 
2nd  Life  Guards. 
Royal  Horse  Guards. 

Dragoon  Guards: 

1st  Dragoon  Guards  (King's). 

2nd  Dragoon  Guards  (Queen's  Bays). 

3rd  Dragoon  Guards  (Prince  of  Wales's). 

4th  Dragoon  Guards  (Royal  Irish). 

5th   Dragoon    Guards    (Princess    Charlotte    of 

Wales's). 
6th  Dragoon  Guards  (Carabineers). 
7th  Dragoon  Guards  (Princess  Royal's). 

Cavalry : 

1st  Royal  Dragoons. 

2nd  Dragoons  (Royal  Scots  Greys). 

3rd  King's  Own  Hussars. 

4th  Queen's  Own  Hussars. 

5th  Royal  Irish  Lancers. 

6th  Inniskilling  Dragoons. 

7th  Queen's  Own  Hussars. 

8th  King's  Royal  Irish  Hussars. 

9th  Queen's  Royal  Lancers. 
lOth  Prince  of  Wales's  Own  Royal  Hussars, 
nth  Prince  Albert's  Own  Hussars. 
1 2th  Prince  of  Wales's  Royal  Lancers. 
13th  Hussars. 


ft 


REGIMENTAL  NOMENCLATURE   31 

14th  King's  Hussars. 

15th  The  King's  Hussars. 

i6th  The  Queen's  Lancers. 

17th  Duke  of  Cambridge's  Own  Lancers. 

1 8th  Queen  Mary's  Own  Hussars. 

19th  Queen  Alexandra's  Own  Royal  Hussars. 

20th  Hussars. 

2 1st  Empress  of  India's  Lancers. 

Royal  Artillery. 


OYAL  Engineers. 


Guards : 

Grenadier  Guards. 
Coldstream  Guards. 
Scots  Guards. 
Irish  Guards. 
Welsh  Guards. 


'NFANTRY  : 

(N.B. — Following  each  horizontal  mark  the 
old  regimental  nomenclature  is  appended. 
It  will  be  seen  that  in  many  cases  two  of 
the  old  regiments  were  joined  together  to 
form  one  of  the  new.) 

Royal  Scots  (Lothian  Regiment) — ist  or  Royal 

Scots. 
Queen's  (Royal  West  Surrey) — 2nd  or  Queen's 

Royal. 
Buffs  (East  Kent)— 3rd  East  Kent. 
King's  Own  (Royal   Lancaster) — 4th  or   King's 

Own. 


32         CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CUEIOS 

Northumberland  Fusiliers — 5th  or  Northumber- 
land Foot  Regiment. 
Royal     Warwickshire     Regiment — 6th    or     ist 

Warwickshire  Foot  Regiment. 
Royal  Fusiliers  (City  of  London  Regiment) — 7th 

Regiment  of  Foot  or  Royal  Fuzileers.^ 
King's   (Liverpool    Regiment) — 8th    or    King's 

Regiment. 
Norfolk  Regiment — 9th  East  Norfolk. 
Lincolnshire  Regiment — loth  North  Lincolnshire. 
Devonshire  Regiment — nth  North  Devonshire. 
Suffolk  Regiment — 12th  or  East  Suffolk. 
Prince  Albert's  (Somersetshire  Light  Infantry) — 

13th  or  1st  Somersetshire. 
Prince  of  Wales's  Own  (West  Yorkshire  Regiment) 

— 14th  or  Buckinghamshire  Regiment. 
East  Yorkshire  Regiment — 15th  Yorkshire  (East 

Riding). 
Bedfordshire   Regiment — i6th   or    Bedfordshire—— 

Regiment.  iB| 

Leicestershire  Regiment — 17th  or  Leicestershire 

Regiment. 
Royal    Irish    Regiment — i8th   or   Royal    Irish 

Regiment. 
Alexandra,  Princess  of  Wales's  Own  (Yorkshire* 

Regiment) — 19th  or    ist  Yorkshire  (North 

Riding). 
Lancashire  Fusiliers — 20th  or  East  Devonshire. 
Royal    Scots    Fusiliers — 21st   or    Royal    North_^ 

British  Fuzileers. 
Cheshire  Regiment — 22nd  or  Cheshire  Regiment. 

*  The  old  spelling  is  retained. 


BADGE   OF  THE   QIEEX'S    (KUYAL   WEST   SUKKEY 
REGIMENT)   2ND   FOOT. 


BADGE  OF  THE   DUKE  OF   EDIN- 
BURGH'S  (WILTSHIRE    REGIMENT). 


BADGE   OF   THE   KING'S   (LIVERPOOL 
REGIMENT). 


BADGE    OF    THE    KciVAL   W.AKW  II  k^m  i  Kh    WK(,1MI- NT. 

33 


IGIMENTAL  NOMENCLA^ 


Royal  Welsh  Fusiliers — 23rd  or  Royal  Welsh 
Fuzileers. 

South  Wales  Borderers — 24th  or  Warwickshire 
Regiment. 

King's  Own  Scottish  Borderers — 25th  or  King's 
Own  Borderers. 

Cameronians  (Scottish  Rifles) — 26th  or  Camero- 
nians  ;  also  Perthshire  Volunteers. 

Royal  Inniskilling  Fusiliers — 27th  or  Inniskilling 
Regiment. 

Gloucestershire  Regiment — 28th  or  North  Glou- 
cestershire ;  also  6 1  st  or  South  Gloucestershire. 

Worcestershire  Regiment — 29th  Worcestershire; 
also  36th  or  Herefordshire. 

East  Lancashire  Regiment — 30th  or  Cambridge- 
shire Regiment ;  also  59th  or  2nd  Notting- 
hamshire Regiment. 

East  Surrey  Regiment — 31st  or  Huntingdonshire 
Regiment;  also  70th  or  Glasgow  Lowland 
Regiment. 

Duke  of  Cornwall's  Light  Infantry — 32nd  or 
Cornwall  Regiment ;  also  46th  or  South 
Devonshire  Regiment. 

Duke  of  Wellington's  (West  Riding  Regiment) — 
76th  Regiment ;  also  33rd  or  ist  Yorkshire 
(West  Riding  Regiment). 

(This   is  the  only  regiment  named  after 
a  person  not  of  royal  blood.) 

Border  Regiment — 34th  or  Cumberland ;  also 
55th  or  Westmoreland  Regiment. 

Royal  Sussex  Regiment — 35th  or  Sussex  Regi- 
ment. 


36        CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

Hampshire  Regiment — 37th  or  North  Hamp- 
shire ;  also  67th  or  South  Hampshire. 

South  Staffordshire  Regiment — 38th  or  ist 
Staffordshire;  also  80th  or  Staffordshire 
Volunteers. 

Dorsetshire  Regiment — 39th  Dorsetshire;  also 
54th  or  West  Norfolk. 

Prince  of  Wales's  Volunteers  (South  Lancashire 
Regiment) — 40th  or  2nd  Somersetshire ;  also 
82nd  Regiment. 

Welsh  Regiment — 41st  Regiment  of  Foot;  also 
69th  or  South  Lincolnshire. 

Black  Watch  (Royal  Highlanders) — 42nd  or 
Royal  Highland  Regiment ;  also  73rd  High- 
land Regiment. 

Oxfordshire  and  Buckinghamshire  Light  Infantry 
— 43rd  or  Monmouthshire  Regiment ;  also 
52nd  or  Oxfordshire  Regiment. 

Essex  Regiment — 44th  or  East  Essex  ;  also  56th 
or  West  Essex  Regiment. 

Sherwood  Foresters(Nottinghamshireand  Derby- 
shire Regiment) — 45th  or  Nottinghamshire. 

Loyal  North  Lancashire  Regiment — 47th  or 
Lancashire  Regiment;  also  8ist  Regiment. 

Northamptonshire  Regiment — 48th  Northamp- 
tonshire ;  also  58th  Rutlandshire. 

Princess  Charlotte  of  Wales's  (Royal  Berkshire 
Regiment) — 49th  or  Hertfordshire  Regi- 
ment ;  also  66th  or  Berkshire  Regiment. 

Queen's  Own  (Royal  West  Kent  Regiment) — 
50th  or  West  Kent;  also  97th  or  Queen's 
Own  Regiment. 


REGIMENTAL  NOMENCLATURE   37 


King's  Own  (Yorkshire  Light  Infantry) — 51st  or 
2nd  Yorkshire  (West  Riding). 

King's  (Shropshire  Light  Infantry) — 53rd  or 
Shropshire  Regiment ;  also  Bucks  Volun- 
teers. 

Duke  of  Cambridge's  Own  (Middlesex  Regi- 
ment)— 57th  or  West  Middlesex  ;  also  77th 
or  East  Middlesex. 

King's  Royal  Rifle  Corps — 60th  or  Royal 
American  Regiment. 

Duke  of  Edinburgh's  (Wiltshire  Regiment) — 
62nd  or  Wilts  Regiment ;  also  Prince  of 
Wales's  Tipperary  Regiment, 

Manchester  Regiment — 63rd  or  West  Suffolk ; 
also  96th  Regiment. 

Prince  of  Wales's  (North  Staffordshire  Regiment) 
— 64th  or  2nd  Staffordshire ;  also  98th 
Regiment. 

York  and  Lancaster  Regiment — 65th  or  2nd 
Yorkshire  North  Riding  Regiment ;  also 
84th  York  and  Lancaster  Regiment. 

Durham  Light  Infantry — 68th  or  Durham 
Regiment. 

Highland  Light  Infantry — 71st  and  74th  High- 
land Regiment. 

Seaforth  Highlanders  (Ross-shire  Buffs,  The 
Duke  of  Albany's) — 72nd  ;  also  78th  High- 
land Regiment. 

Gordon  Highlanders — 75th  Highland  Regiment; 
also  92nd  Regiment. 

Queen's  Own  Cameron  Highlanders — 79th  Regi- 
ment of  Cameron  Highlanders. 


38         CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

Royal  Irish  Rifles — 83rd  Regiment ;  also  Royal 

County  Down  Regiment. 
Princess  Victoria's  (Royal  Irish  Fusiliers) — 87th 

or  Prince  of  Wales's  Own  Irish  Regiment ; 

also  89th  Regiment. 
Connaught   Rangers— 88th    Regiment   or   Con- 
naught  Rangers  ;   also  94th  Regiment. 
Princess      Louise's      (Argyll     and     Sutherland 

Highlanders)— 91st    Regiment;    also    93rd 

Regiment. 
Prince   of  Wales's   Leinster   Regiment    (Royal 

Canadians) — looth  or  His  Royal  Highness 

the    Prince    Regent's    County    of    Dublin 

Regiment. 
Royal    Munster   Fusiliers — loist    or    Duke    of 

York's  Irish  Regiment ;  also  104th  Regiment. 
Royal  Dublin  Fusiliers — 102nd  Regiment. 
Rifle  Brigade — 95  th  Regiment. 

Other  Units  : 

Royal  Marine  Artillery. 
Royal  Marine  Infantry. 
Army  Service  Corps. 
Royal  Army  Medical  Corps. 
Army  Veterinary  Corps. 
Army  Ordnance  Corps. 
Army  Pay  Corps. 


m 

REGIMENTAL 
CRESTS 


3 


CHAPTER   III 


REGIMENTAL  CRESTS 


The  fascination  of  regimental  crests — How  to  plan  a  collection  of 
crests — The  changes  which  crests  undergo — The  meaning  of 
crests — Mottoes  on  crests,  and  their  meanings 


I 


The  crest  or  badge  worn  by  a  soldier  is  probably 
one  of  his  most  cherished  possessions,  for  it  is  at 
once  the  symbol  of  his  regiment  and  the  mascot 
which  urges  him  on  to  fame  and  victory.  It  is  but 
little  wonder,  then,  that  such  emblems,  so  jealously 
preserved,  should  prove  of  deep  interest  to  the  col- 
lector of  military  curios. 

In  our  own  case,  and  we  suppose  it  was  much  the 
same  in  those  of  our  readers,  army  crests  fascinated 
us  long  before  we  had  a  clear  perception  of  what  an 
army  really  was.  In  our  early  school-days,  buttons 
bearing  the  various  regimental  devices  attracted  us  ; 
later  our  collection  extended  a  welcome  to  cap- 
badges,  whilst  to-day  it  contains  such  treasures  as 
the  crests  on  waist-belts,  crossbelt-plates,  helmets, 
collar-plates,  and  even  those  on  the  metal  flaps  of 
sabretaches. 

A  collection  of  regimental  badges  should  be 
planned  on  scientific   lines,  otherwise  the  treasured 


41 


42         CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

possessions  will  lose  much  of  their  interest.  In  the 
first  place,  the  various  specimens  should  be  classified : 
buttons  should  be  arranged  in  one  group,  cap-badges 
in  another,  belt-plates  in  another,  and  so  on. 

The  second  grouping  should  be  based  upon  the 
standing  of  the  regimental  unit.  All  the  buttons 
worn  by  the  regular  army,  for  instance,  should  be 
placed  in  one  sub-division  ;  all  those  of  the  territorial 
army  in  another  ;  and,  as  obsolete  specimens  are  still 
procurable,  sub-divisions  should  be  reserved  for  the 
volunteer  force,  the  old  militia,  and  special  forces 
which  have  been  raised  on  special  occasions. 

Of  course  the  badges  should  be  arranged  according 
to  the  precedence  accorded  to  the  regiments  for  which 
they  stand  ;  thus,  in  the  case  of  the  regular  army, 
the  Household  Cavalry  should  receive  priority  and 
be  followed  by  the  Dragoon  Guards ;  then  the 
Cavalry  of  the  Line  should  take  third  place,  whilst 
the  fourth  and  fifth  places  should  be  given  to  the 
Royal  Artillery  and  Royal  Engineers.  The  Guards 
should  be  placed  sixth,  and  the  Infantry  of  the  Line 
seventh.  Badges  of  each  of  these  divisions  should 
then  be  arranged  according  to  the  seniority  of  the 
regiment.  The  Army  List  and  the  chapter  on 
"Regimental  Nomenclature "  will  give  valuable  help 
on  this  point.  Finally,  where  regiments  possess 
various  badges  for  the  different  companies,  these 
must  be  arranged  in  numerical  order. 

In  planning  a  collection,  it  is  well  to  remember 
that  badges  are  constantly  changing  their  patterns, 
not  in  fundamental  ways,  it  is  true,  but  in  ways 
which  are  quite  sufficient  to  add  zest  to  the  hobby 


BADGE   OF  THE    KOYAL   DUBLIN    FUSILIERS. 

BADGE   OF  THE   ROYAL   FUSILIERS   (CITY   OF    LONDON    REGIMENT). 
BADGE   OF   THE   SEAFORTH    HIGHLANDERS    (5TH    BATTALION). 
BADGE  OF  THE   ROYAL   REGIMENT  OF  ARTILLERY. 


43 


REGIMENTAL  CRESTS  45 

of  collecting.  Battle  honours,  for  instance,  have 
been  frequently  added  in  the  past,  whilst  many 
changes  are  sure  to  take  place  in  the  future,  on  this 
score  alone,  as  a  result  of  the  great  war  with 
Germany.  After  the  Boer  War,  additions  were  made 
to  the  scrolls  which  encircle  many  regimental  badges, 
and  the  same  may  be  said  of  the  Peninsular,  Marl- 
borough's wars,  and  every  great  campaign  in  which 
the  British  Army  has  figured.  Thus  it  is  clear  that  a 
collection  of  devices  such  as  we  have  here  in  mind  is 
full  of  interest,  not  only  from  the  military  and  anti- 
quarian but  also  the  historical  point  of  view. 

In  addition  to  the  gradual  changes  which  have 
arisen,  it  must  be  mentioned  that  in  1881  the  names 
of  many  regiments  underwent  changes  and  the 
badges  suffered  material  alterations  in  consequence. 
Before  the  year  in  question,  each  army  unit  was 
known  by  its  number  and  the  crests  bore  distinguish- 
ing numerals.  Thus  the  Wiltshire  badge,  which 
to-day  depicts  the  Duke  of  Edinburgh's  monogram 
within  a  circle,  bore  the  figures  "  62  "  instead  up  till 
1 88 1.  The  collector  will  find  these  early  devices  of 
much  interest,  but,  as  a  rule,  they  are  fairly  hard  to 
obtain. 

Unless  the  collector  has  ideas  of  his  own  as  to  how 
the  badges  should  be  mounted,  it  will  be  a  capital 
plan  to  cover  a  board  with  black  velvet  and  pin  the 
medal  emblems  to  it.  When  complete,  the  board 
should  be  framed  with  a  moulding  having  a  fairly 
deep  rebate.  The  effect  will  be  pleasing ;  the  frame 
can  be  used  as  a  wall  ornamentation,  and,  what 
is   most  important,  the  badges  themselves  will   be 


48         CHATS   ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

protected,  as  far  as  possible,  from  the  deteriorating 
influences  of  the  atmosphere. 

A  study  of  the  designs  given  on  the  crests  forms, 
of  course,  an  interesting  pastime.  Probably  the  first 
point  which  the  student  will  notice  is  that  certain 
specimens  bear  the  King's  sign — e.g.  the  King's 
Dragoon  Guards  and  the  Grenadier  Guards — 
consequently,  all  such  badges  must  inevitably  suffer 
alteration  on  the  demise  of  the  reigning  sovereign. 

All  royal  regiments,  with  a  single  exception,  bear 
the  royal  crown,  though  crowns  of  various  types  are 
borne  by  other  units  than  royal  ones. 

Light  infantry  regiments  invariably  display  a  horn. 

Grenades  form  part  of  the  devices  worn  by  the 
Grenadier  Guards,  the  Royal  Artillery,  and  the 
Fusilier  regiments. 

Most  of  the  Irish  units  display  the  harp,  and 
the  Welsh  the  dragon,  but  in  connection  with  this 
latter  class,  it  must  be  mentioned  that  the  Buffs 
(East  Kent)  are  also  proud  of  a  dragon  ;  this,  how- 
ever, was  given  them  for  services  rendered  in  China. 

Britannia,  one  of  our  most  cherished  allegorical 
figures,  is  seen  on  but  a  single  crest:  that  of  the 
Norfolks.  It  was  awarded  to  this  unit  for  gallantry 
at  Almanza  in  1707.  The  Spaniards  in  the  Penin- 
sular War  nicknamed  the  men  of  this  regiment  the 
"  Holy  Boys,"  as  they  mistook  the  figure  of  Britannia 
for  that  of  the  Virgin  Mary. 

A  castle  and  key  figure  on  many  regimental 
devices.  All  those  which  display  them  fought  at 
Gibraltar    and    received    permission    to    incorporate 


I 


I 


REGIMENTAL  CRESTS  47 

these  objects  in  their  crest  in  memory  of  the  services 
which  they  performed  there. 

A  striped  rose  forms  part  of  a  great  many  badges. 
It  is  a  sign  of  the  union  after  the  War  of  the  Roses. 

Animals  are  favourite  emblems.  The  lion,  the 
symbol  of  our  island  race,  naturally  figures  most 
frequently,  but  elephants,  horses,  tigers,  and  stags  are 
great  favourites. 

It  is  not  always  possible  to  tell  why  such  and  such 
a  regiment  has  chosen  a  particular  animal  for  incor- 
poration in  its  device,  but,  more  often  than  not,  the 
design  may  be  traced  back  to  the  family  escutcheon 
of  a  nobleman  who  had  some  hand  in  raising  the 
unit.  A  case  in  point  is  the  cat  encircled  by  the 
motto  Sans  Peur^  which  the  men  of  the  5th  battalion 
of  the  Seaforth  Highlanders  wear  on  their  caps. 
This  creature  has  long  ornamented  the  crest  of  the 
House  of  Sutherland,  and  the  Sutherlands  claim 
guardianship  over  this  particular  unit. 

In  other  cases,  an  animal  has  been  selected 
because  it  is  specially  appropriate.  For  instance, 
the  Sherwood  Foresters,  soldiers  who  recall  Robin 
Hood  and  the  good  old-fashioned  chase,  display 
an  ambling  stag,  whilst  regiments  associated  with 
long  service  in  India  have  adopted  an  elephant  or 
tiger. 

But  the  most  appropriate  badge  of  all  is  that  worn 
by  the  Royal  Army  Medical  Corps.  In  this  instance, 
we  have  a  snake  coiled  around  a  rod.  The  snake,  as 
every  reader  knows,  was  the  particular  mascot  carried 
by  ./Esculapius,  the  god  of  healing,  whilst  the  same 
reptile  was  used  by  Moses  in  the  Wilderness  to  free 


i 


48         CHATS   ON  MILITARY   CURIOS 

the  Children  of  Israel  from  the  ailments  which  proved 
so  troublesome  to  them. 

The  fleeting  horse,  borne  by  the  King's  Own 
Hussars,  the  Fifth  Dragoon  Guards,  and  the  Royal 
Fusiliers,  is  the  white  horse  of  Hanover,  and  was 
incorporated  in  the  crests  to  remind  us  of  services 
rendered  against  the  Jacobites. 

The  Paschal  lamb  on  the  "Queen's"  was  the  badge 
of  Catherine  of  Braganza,  wife  of  Charles  H. 

The  sphinx,  as  every  one  knows,  indicates  special 
services  in  Egypt. 

The  mottoes  incorporated  in  certain  of  the 
regimental  crests  are  not  without  interest.  The 
following,  with  their  English  equivalents,  are  worth 
noting : — 

Pro  rege  et  patria — For  King  and  country. 

Quis  separabit? — Who  shall  separate? 

Quo  fata  vocant — Whither  fate  calls. 

Spectemur  agendo — Let  us  be  judged  by  our 
actions. 

Nemo  me  impune  lacessit — No  one  provokes  me 
with  impunity. 

Nee  aspera  terrent — Difficulties  do  not  terrify  us, 

Mente  et  manu — With  mind  and  hand. 

Pristinae  virtutis  memores — The  memory  of  former 
valour. 

Viret  in  aeternum — Flourishes  for  ever. 

Quo  fas  et  gloria  ducunt — Where  right  and  glory 
lead. 

Vel  exuviae  triumphant — Arms  surely  triumphant. 

Semper  fidelis — Always  faithful. 


ji 


.4^5%' 


<ir 


t:vAc> 


!E^ 


SOME  regimp:ntal  buttons. 
49 


REGIMENTAL  CRESTS 


51 


I 


Virtutis  namurcensis  praemium — The  reward  of 
valour  at  Namur. 

Omnia  audax — To  dare  all. 

Nisi  Dominus  frustra — Without  God,  it  is  vain. 

Virtutis  fortuna  comes — Fortune  the  friend  of 
valour. 

Primus  in  Indis — First  in  the  Indies. 

Gwell  angau  na  chyurlydd — Rather  death  than 
shame. 

Aucto  splendore  resurgo — I  rise  with  increased 
splendour. 

Celer  et  audax — Swift  and  bold. 

Cuidich'n  Righ — Assist  the  King. 

Faugh-a-ballach — Clear  the  way. 

In  arduis  fidelis — In  danger,  faithful. 


IV 

MILITARY 
UNIFORMS 


CHAPTER   IV 

MILITARY   UNIFORMS 

The  growth  of  uniforms — The  effect  of  the  decline  in  armour  on 
uniforms — The  part  played  by  Elizabeth — Uniforms  in  the  time  of 
the  Civil  War — In  Charles  II's  reign — ^James  II — The  first  two 
Georges — Uniforms  in  the  Peninsular  War — The  close-fitting 
uniforms  of  George  IV — The  changes  which  were  brought  about 
in  William  IV's  time — Later  changes  —  Peculiarities  of  the 
military  dress  of  to-day 

One  of  the  most  interesting  tasks  which  the  collector 
of  military  curios  can  set  himself  is  to  trace  out,  by 
all  available  means,  the  growth  of  army  uniforms 
from  earliest  times  to  the  present  day.  In  prosecut- 
IB  i"g  such  self-imposed  work,  the  sources  of  informa- 
tion which  will  have  to  be  studied  are  almost  without 
1^  limit,  ranging  from  contemporary  drawings,  prints, 
H  statues,  the  writings  of  such  chroniclers  as  Stowe,  to, 
of  course,  the  actual  uniforms  themselves.  Our 
knowledge  of  the  metamorphoses  of  military  dress 
is  very  imperfect,  and  this  research  work  will  be  all 

I     the  more  valuable  in  consequence. 
At  first  thought  it  is    a   little  surprising  to  learn 
that  the  earliest  official  mention  of  a  distinguishing 
uniform    for    English    soldiers    occurs    among    the 
Ordinances  of  Henry  VIII,  but  when   we  consider 

55 


56         CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

that  armour  in  various  styles  was  largely  used  until 
Tudor  times,  the  fact  is  not  so  striking.  Isolated 
instances  of  uniformed  soldiers  can  be  traced  before 
this  period  ;  Hannibal,  we  know,  raised  the  famous 
white  and  crimson  Spanish  regiments,  and  then,  of 
course,  there  were  the  Crusaders,  who  wore  the 
ordinary  clothes  of  the  times,  ornamented  with 
crosses  of  distinctive  colours. 

With  the  decline  of  armour,  retainers  went  into 
battle  robed  in  the  cloth  liveries  of  their  masters, 
whilst  the  mercenaries  wore  the  usual  dress  of 
civilians.  The  drawback  to  such  an  arrangement 
was  obvious.  Men  could  never  tell  who  were  their 
friends  and  who  their  foes,  and  unnecessary  slaughter 
was  consequently  committed.  It  was  not  long  before 
leaders  provided  their  followers  with  scarves  of  dis- 
tinctive colours ;  sometimes  they  were  appropriately 
chosen,  at  others  they  were  merely  distinctive.  But 
even  this  plan  gave  little  satisfaction,  for  our  history 
books  of  the  period  are  crowded  with  tales  of  men 
who  donned  the  enemy's  colours  and  were  thus  able 
to  surprise  their  opponents. 

As  a  result  of  these  conditions,  Henry  VIII 
decided  to  clothe  some,  at  least,  of  his  soldiers  in 
distinctive  uniforms  ;  he  selected  white  coats  em- 
blazoned with  the  red  cross  of  St.  George.  Speaking 
of  other  soldiers  of  this  reign,  probably  later  levies, 
Stubbs  remarks  that  the  doublets  which  they  wore 
"  reached  down  to  the  middle  of  the  thighs,  though 
not  always  quite  so  low,  being  so  hard  quilted, 
stuffed,  bombasted,  and  sewed  as  they  can  neither 
work  nor  yet  well  play   in  them,   through  the  ex- 


<    . 

O  X 
X  H 


57 


MILITARY  UNIFORMS 


59 


cessive  heat  and  the  stiffness  thereof.  Therefore 
are  they  forced  to  wear  them  loose  about  them. 
They  are  stuffed  with  four,  five,  or  six  pounds  of 
bombast  at  the  least,  and  made  of  satin,  taffeta,  silk, 
grograine,  gold,  silver,  and  what  not."  From  the 
antiquarian's  point  of  view  this  dress  must  have 
indeed  proved  attractive,  though  the  soldier  of  to-day 
will  hardly  recognize  any  redeeming  features  in  it. 

Elizabeth,  as  all  students  of  history  know,  paid 
great  attention  to  dress  ;  not  only  in  matters  con- 
cerning her  own  person,  but  also  in  those  affecting 
her  Court  and  followers.  Accordingly,  we  find  that 
a  decree,  ordering  a  body  of  Lancashire  men  to  be 
raised  for  service  in  Ireland,  stated  that  "  the  soldiers 
shall  be  given  convenient  doublets  and  hose  and 
also  a  cassock  of  some  motley  or  other  sad  green 
colour  or  russet  ;  also  every  soldier  to  have  five 
shillings  to  provide  a  mantle  in  Ireland  besides  his 
livery  coat." 

Another  interesting  quotation,  taken  from  Lawrence 
Archer's  "  British  Army  Records,"  mentions  Sir  John 
Harrington  as  stating  that  an  officer's  kit  in  Eliza- 
beth's time  consisted  of — 

I  cassock  of  broad  cloth. 

1  canvass  doublet  with  silk  lining  and  buttons. 

2  shirts. 

2  bands. 

3  pairs  of  stockings  at  2s.  6d.  each. 
3  pairs  of  shoes. 

I  pair  of  Venetians  with  silver  lace  (i.e.  trousers). 

When  the  Civil  War  broke  out,  the  Royalists  or 


60         CHATS  ON  MILITARY   CURIOS 

Cavaliers  wore  a  very  picturesque  though  hardly- 
serviceable  uniform  ;  it  consisted  of  a  doublet  of  silk, 
satin,  or  velvet  with  large  loose  sleeves  slashed  up  the 
front,  the  collar  covered  by  a  falling  band  of  lace, 
whilst  a  short  cloak  was  carelessly  worn  on  one 
shoulder.  Long  breeches  tucked  into  boots,  the 
uppers  of  which  were  loose  and  curled  over,^  added 
to  the  picturesque  appearance  of  the  warriors.  A 
Flemish  beaver,  with  a  distinctive  hatband  and  an 
elaborate  feather,  was  the  usual  headgear.  The  silk 
doublet,  it  should  be  added,  was  often  replaced  by  a 
buff  coat  in  war-time. 

The  Commonwealth,  of  course,  brought  sober 
clothing  which,  at  least,  was  more  protective  and 
useful  than  that  associated  with  the  Tudor  and 
Stuart  periods. 

In  Charles  II's  time  the  military  uniform,  as  we 
know  it  to-day,  began  to  materialize.  It  is  true 
that  during  the  early  part  of  Charles's  reign  the 
soldiers  wore  the  pre-Commonwealth  styles,  but  when 
the  King  began  to  form  certain  regiments,  which 
still  exist  at  the  present  moment,  a  need  for  definite 
uniforms  became  manifest.  Thus,  in  1661,  the  Earl 
of  Oxford  raised  the  Horse  Guards  and  provided 
them  with  a  picturesque  blue  uniform,  and  in  1665 
the  Third  Buffs  was  formed  and  soon  earned  for 
itself  this  distinctive  name  as  its  accoutrements  were 
fashioned  from  buffalo  leather. 

James  II  introduced  few  changes.  It  is  worth 
mentioning,  however,  that  wigs  became  fashionable 

*  Apparently  this  slovenly  looking  boot  was  used  in  order  to  prevent 
the  leg  from  being  crushed  in  a  battle  charge. 


MILITARY  UNIFORMS 


in  this  period,  and  large  hats  adorned  with  waving 
feathers  were  worn  to  suit  the  style  of  coiffure. 
Sewn  into  the  crown  of  these  hats,  skull  caps  made 
of  iron  were  frequently  found. 

In  1695,  according  to  a  contemporary  authority, 
the  coats  and  breeches  of  the  sergeants  and  ordinary 
soldiers  were,  in  most  cases,  grey,  whilst  the  coats 
of  drummer  boys  were  purple.  The  shape  of  these 
costumes  followed  the  civilian  styles  of  the   period. 

When  Anne  came  to  the  throne,  armour  which 
had  not  been  entirely  abolished  completely  died  out, 
and  the  foot  soldiers  wore  a  comfortable  scarlet  coat 
with  distinctive  facings,  a  cocked  hat,  breeches,  and 
long  black  gaiters  reaching  just  above  the  knees, 
with  a  strap  below  the  knee  to  hold  them  in  position. 
The  cavalry  also  wore  a  cocked  hat  and  large  boots. 
Some  officers  wore  a  wide-brimmed  hat,  turned  up 
on  two  sides  and  decked  with  gay  feathers.^ 

The  first  two  Georges  introduced  many  ideas  from 
abroad,  the  most  striking  of  which  was  the  mitre 
helmet,  worn  even  to-day  by  certain  Central  European 
regiments.  The  men  who  were  provided  with  this 
headgear  were  certainly  picturesque  in  appearance ; 
the  Royal  Fusiliers,  for  instance,  wore  a  high  mitred 
helmet,  elaborately  ornamented  with  regimental 
devices,  a  long  tail  coat,  buttoned  back  at  the  front 
in  a  way  which  is  reminiscent  of  the  present  French 
infantry,  knee  breeches,  cloth  leggings,  and  a  plain 
bandolier  carrying  a  bag,  much  after  the  fashion  of  a 
sabretache.  With  the  exception  of  his  hat,  which 
was  clumsy  and  gave  no   protection   either  against 

'  Luard,  "A  History  of  the  Dress  of  the  British  Soldier,"  p.  94, 
i 


62         CHATS   ON   MILITARY  CURIOS 

» 

weather  or  onslaughts,  his  uniform  was  comfortable 
though  weighty. 

George  III  discarded  the  low  boots  and  leggings 
for  knee-boots,  but  these  were  soon  given  up  for 
low  boots  and  long  trousers.  The  buttons  on  the 
uniform  of  the  Heavy  Dragoons,  also,  were  replaced  by 
hooks  and  eyes,  whilst  the  Light  Dragoons  lost  nearly 
all  theirs.  In  addition,  their  helmet  was  replaced  by 
a  felt  shako.  Curiously  enough,  the  Hussar,  who 
wore  five  rows  of  heavy  buttons  on  his  jacket  and  five 
more  rows  on  the  little  pelisse  which  he  slung  loosely 
over  his  left  arm,  was  allowed  to  keep  all  his 
cumbersome  ornamentation. 

The  Peninsular  War  brought  many  changes,  but 
these  were  more  variations  of  the  set  styles  than 
complete  alterations  in  shapes  and  colours,  probably 
the  result  of  requiring  large  quantities  of  outfits  for 
the  war,  in  the  quickest  possible  time.  Luard,  writing 
of  this  period,  says  ^ :  "  The  officers  of  the  Army  of 
the  Peninsula  ran  into  great  extremes  of  fashion ; 
and  as  there  was  a  difficulty,  frequently,  in  procuring 
articles  of  dress  exactly  according  to  regulations, 
considerable  latitude  was  of  necessity  granted.  An 
officer  of  the  4th  Dragoons,  who  was  very  fond  of 
being  gaily  dressed,  was  always  searching  for  silver 
lace,  and  whenever  he  went  into  a  town  and  returned 
to  the  camp,  on  being  questioned  regarding  what 
articles  of  food  were  to  be  procured,  invariably 
answered :  '  I  don't  know,  but  I  found  some  silver 
lace.' " 

Directly  following  the  Napoleonic  Wars  it  was  felt 

*  Luard,  "  A  History  of  the  Dxess  of  the  British  Soldier,"  p.  102 


MILITARY   UNIFORMS 

prudent  for  the  sake  of  peace  to  garrison  a  British 
Army  of  Occupation  in  France.  Four  cavalry  regi- 
ments crossed  the  Channel,  the  9th,  12th,  i6th,  and 
23rd  Light  Dragoons  being  selected. 

The  dress  which  these  soldiers  wore  was  a  jacket 
similar  to  that  of  the  ordinary  Light  Dragoons,  but 
with  the  addition,  for  the  officers,  of  an  embroidered 
cuff  and  collar,  a  pair  of  enormous  epaulettes,  and  an 
aiguillette.  The  cap  was  very  high  with  a  square 
top,  made  of  cane  covered  with  cloth  of  the  colour 
of  the  facings  of  the  regiment,  a  brass  plate  in  front 
and  a  plume  at  the  top  of  it.  The  privates'  dress 
corresponded  to  that  of  the  officers,  but  brass  scales 
were  worn  on  the  shoulders  instead  of  epaulettes. 
The  Cossack  shape  of  trousers  was  worn  by  the 
officers,  very  full  around  the  waist  but  gradually 
tapering  down  to  the  foot.^ 

George  IV,  as  is  popularly  known,  gave  much 
thought  to  matters  of  dress.  He  held  that  wrinkles 
in  a  uniform  entirely  spoiled  all  appearance  of  cor- 
rect military  bearing.  The  soldiers  of  his  time  were 
therefore  expected  to  put  on  their  clothes  and  have 
all  fullness  cut  out  Luard  says  that  the  consequence 
was  that  the  coats  of  the  privates,  as  well  as  those 
of  the  officers,  were  made  so  tight  that  freedom  of 
action  was  much  restricted,  and  the  infantry  could 
with  difficulty  handle  their  muskets,  whilst  the 
cavalry  could  scarcely  do  sword  exercise. 

There  is  no  doubt  that,  though  the  uniforms  of 
this  date  were  uncomfortable,  they  were  of  a  smart 
and  attractive  appearance.     The  officers  in  the  Rifle 

'  Luard,  "A  History  of  the  Dress  of  the  British  Soldier,"  p.  106. 


64         CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

Corps,  for  instance,  wore  a  tight-fitting  green  outfit 
with  silver  facings,  relieved  by  a  bright  scarlet  belt. 
The  boots  were  of  black  leather,  and  reached  almost 
up  to  the  knees.  The  hat  was  somewhat  like  the 
Highland  bonnets  of  to-day.  The  officers  in  the 
loth  Hussars  were  a  trifle  more  showy  in  appearance. 
They  had  a  blue  coat  with  gilt-braided  plastron, 
and  a  pelisse  on  the  left  arm.  The  trousers  were 
red  and  skin-tight,  and  fastened  under  the  instep 
to  keep  them  from  creeping  up  the  leg.  The  hat 
was  a  shako  surmounted  by  a  large  dark  plume. 
In  the  1st  Foot  Guards  the  officer's  coat  was  red, 
and  had  tails  ;  there  were  epaulettes  on  the  shoulders 
and  a  white  bandolier  across  the  breast.  The  hat 
was  a  high-decked  shako  of  glossy  material. 

William  IV's  reign  was  marked  by  the  rise  and 
subsequent  decline  of  enormous  bear-skins.  William 
also  decreed  that  the  whole  of  the  Army,  with  the 
exception  of  the  artillery  and  riflemen,  should  be 
dressed  in  scarlet,  the  national  colour. 

When  Victoria  came  to  the  throne  she  restored 
the  blue  dress  to  the  Light  Dragoons,  but  not  to 
the  Lancers  nor  to  the  i6th  Regiment.  The  House- 
hold Cavalry  were  given  helmets  with  weeping 
plumes  fixed  to  the  apexes.  A  little  later  "  pill- 
boxes" became  fashionable  amongst  the  majority 
of  the  regiments.  ll 

In  1 88 1  most  of  the  distinctive  and,  in  many  cases, 
historic  facings  were  taken  from  the  various  regi- 
ments, and  blue  was  given  to  the  Royal  regiments 
and  white  to  the  others.  The  change  seems  to  us, 
who  look  at  the  matter  in  the  light  of  the  antiquarian 


MILITARY  UNIFORMS  65 


nd  historian,  as  a  retrograde  one,  which  should  be 
deprecated  in  every  way. 

To-day  all  the  regiments  of  the  regular  British 
Army  wear  scarlet  uniforms,  with  the  following 
exceptions  : — 

I.  Blue  Uniforms — Royal  Horse  Guards ;  6th  Dra- 
goon Guards ;  King's  Own  Hussars ;  Queen's 
Own  Hussars ;  Royal  Irish  Lancers ;  King's 
Irish  Hussars;  Queen's  Royal  Lancers;  Prince 
of  Wales's  Own  Hussars  ;  Prince  Albert's  Own 
Hussars  ;  Prince  of  Wales's  Royal  Lancers  ; 
13th,  14th,  15th,  1 8th,  19th,  and  20th  Hussars; 
17th  and  2 1st  Lancers  ;  Royal  Artillery;  Royal 
Marine  Infantry ;  Army  Service  Corps  ;  Royal 
Army  Medical  Corps  ;  Army  Veterinary  Corps  ; 
Army  Ordnance  Corps  ;  Army  Pay  Corps. 
Green  Uniforms — Cameron ians  ;  King's  Royal 
Rifle  Corps  ;  Royal  Irish  Rifles  ;  Rifle  Brigade. 

In  the  above  notes  we  have  merely  given  a  rough 
sketch  of  the  growth  of  the  military  uniform  as  it 
has  affected  the  British  soldier.  To  elaborate  this 
information  by  tracing  the  various  changes,  both 
great  and  small,  which  have  been  applied  to  army 
clothing  is  a  work  of  intense  interest  and  historical 
value.  The  task  is  best  undertaken  by  the  curio 
collector,  who  can  build  up  the  necessary  knowledge 
from  his  self-made  collection  of  military  prints,  illus- 
trated books,  photographs,  and  actual  uniforms.  We 
do  not  suggest  that  any  one  reader  should  undertake 
the  whole  task  himself;   it  is  far  better  to  select  a 


66         CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

particular  regiment  or  a  class  of  regiment,  or  even  a 
particular  article  of  dress,  and  trace  its  history  with 
minute  precision.  The  results  achieved  in  this  way 
would  indeed  prove  valuable. 

Before  concluding  this  chapter  the  following  ques- 
tions bearing  on  military  dress  may  prove  of  interest ; 
they  are  typical  of  the  thousand  and  one  queries 
which  the  student  should  ask  himself: — 

1.  Why  do  the  drummers  in  the  Guards  wear 
fleurs-de-lys  on  their  tunics? 

2.  Which  regiments  still  wear  black  in  memory  of 
Wolfe? 

3.  Why  do  the  Northumberland  Fusiliers  wear  a 
red  and  white  feather  hackle  in  their  caps  ? 

4.  Why  does  the  Gloucester  Regiment  wear  a 
badge  on  both  the  back  and  front  of  their  hats  ? 

5.  Why  has  the  "flash"  survived  with  the  Royal 
Welsh  Fusiliers  ? 

6.  Why  does  the  privilege  exist  with  the  Oxford- 
shire and  Buckinghamshire  Light  Infantry  of  wearing 
shirt  collars  with  the  uniform  ? 


•    •      ••.   •      <•      * 


A  SLEEVE   FROM    A   COAT   OF  THE   OLD   2ND 
(SOUTH    MIDDLESEX)    VOLUNTEER    REGIMENT. 


,^^^S? 


e 


A   BELT   BUCKLE   FROM  THE   SAME   REGIMENT. 


»••  .*.♦♦«* 


ARMOUR 


CHAPTER  V 


ARMOUR 


le  scarcity  of  good  armour  —  Considerations  for  the  collector — 
Counterfeit  armour — The  twelve  periods  in  armour — The  char- 
acteristics of  each  period — Glossary 


n 

I 


There  is  much  that  is  fascinating  in  the  study  of 
armour,  and  the  seeker  after  military  curios  will 
do  well  to  consider  the  advisability  of  making  a 
collection  of  armour  pieces.  In  praise  of  this  par- 
ticular form  of  treasure-hunting  we  could  write  a 
good  deal,  but,  as  space  is  necessarily  limited,  it 
will  be  wise  to  content  ourselves,  at  the  outset, 
with  stating  the  drawbacks  rather  than  the  advan- 
tages which  attend  this  hobby. 

In  the  first  case,  really  good  complete  suits  of 
period  armour  are  scarce,  and  consequently  com- 
mand enormous  sums.  Of  course  there  is  no  reason 
why  detached  pieces  should  not  be  collected  :  these 
can  be  obtained  freely  and  at  reasonable  prices. 
Probably  the  best  bargains  are  to  be  had  at  country- 
house  sales,  where  the  specimens  are  not  sufficiently 
numerous  to  warrant  the  attendance  of  London 
dealers.     But  the  smaller  bric-ci-brac  shops,  especially 

n 


72         CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

those  off  the  beaten  track,  often  contain  oddments 
which  may  be  picked  up  at  tempting  prices. 

The  second  drawback  concerns  questions  of  space. 
Armour  collecting  takes  up  a  good  deal  of  room 
and,  in  these  days  of  small  suburban  houses  and 
town  flats,  it  is  not  every  one  who  can  house  such 
treasures  without  causing  them  untold  damage. 

The  third  point  is  the  most  serious  of  all ;  it 
may  be  stated  briefly.  There  are  so  many  dan- 
gerous forgeries  to  be  met  with  that  the  untutored 
collector  may  become  bewildered  and  so  lose  his 
love  for  the  hobby. 

Upon  the  Continent  there  are  thriving  factories 
where  armour,  of  the  rarest  kinds,  is  imitated,  not 
for  sale  as  reproductions  but  in  order  to  cheat  the 
uninitiated.  The  antique  appearance  is  imparted  to 
the  bright  metal  surfaces  by  artfully  smearing  with 
lithographic  ink  and  then  dabbing  with  muriatic 
acid.  The  ink  protects  the  parts  which  it  covers 
from  the  corrosive  action  of  the  acid,  and  when  the 
metal  is  subsequently  washed  and  greased  it  has 
the  exact  appearance  of  an  aged  piece  of  armour, 
eaten  and  worn  by  time.  How  is  the  amateur  to 
detect  such  worthless  specimens  when  he  runs 
across  them  ? 

Under  the  title  of  "  Forgeries  that  were  not 
Forged,"  The  Connoisseur^^  a  few  years  ago,  made 
some  very  pertinent  remarks  on  this  subject. 
"  Foreign  museums  are  not  entirely  free  from  the 
presence  of  forgeries,"  the  article  began  ;  "  in  Paris 
may  be  seen  suits  and  parts  of  suits  which  will 
May  1901,  p.  36. 


ARMOUR 


73 


not  satisfy  the  connoisseur  in  the  matter  of  freedom 
from  faking.  At  Berlin  at  least  one  suit  will  strike 
the  observer  as  decidedly  not  what  it  claims  to  be. 
At  Stockholm,  among  the  interesting  objects  in  the 
Lifrustkammer  are  many  pieces  which  one  regrets 
are  not  real.  And  if  in  public  collections  many  pieces 
arouse  scepticism,  how  much  more  so  is  it  the  case 
with  private  collections,  where  all  the  geese  are  swans. 

"  In  the  Tower  of  London,  on  the  upper  shelf  of 
one  of  the  cases,  is  a  row  of  helms  and  helmets 
described  as  copies  or  trophy  work.  These  certainly 
exemplify  the  expression  '  forgeries  that  were  not 
forged.'  They  were  bought  for  the  National  Collec- 
tion between  the  years  185 1  and  1858,  and  were  then 
no  doubt  considered  valuable  examples  of  ancient 
armour.  One,  indeed,  figured  at  Manchester  in  1857 
among  the  treasures  of  art.  In  them  we  may  observe 
every  rule  of  the  construction  of  real  armour  violated, 
and  further  insulted  by  artificial  rust  and  injuries. 

"It  may  be  asked,  in  the  words  of  the  song,  '  How 
shall  I  my  true  love  know?'  and  seeing  how  much 
more  trouble  is  taken  to  deceive  than  to  detect  deceit, 
it  is  difficult  to  lay  down  any  complete  system  of 
defence  for  the  collector  from  the  ever-increasing 
attacks  of  the  forger."  It  is  certain,  however,  that 
the  best  way  of  detecting  forgeries  is  to  get  ac- 
quainted with  the  styles  of  armour  that  were  worn 
at  certain  periods,  to  find  out  what  processes  were 
available  for  constructing  the  armour  at  these  periods, 
what  uses  each  section  of  the  armour  was  put  to,  and 
how  it  was  fitted  on  to  the  rest  of  the  suit. 

Of  course,  a  good  deal  may  be  learnt  from  visits 


74         CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

to  public  collections.  The  uninitiated  collector  is, 
therefore,  advised  to  study  the  specimens  shown  in 
the  Tower,  the  Royal  United  Service  Museum,  the 
Wallace  Collection,  and  the  Rotunda  at  Woolwich. 
On  the  Continent  there  are  many  fine  displays,  not 
only  of  armour  but  also  of  weapons,  notably  at  the 
Musde  d'Artillerie,  Paris,  the  Industrial  Museum  of 
Vienna,  the  Copenhagen  National  Museum,  and  the 
Rijks  Museum  at  Amsterdam.  These  are  all  well 
worth  inspecting. 

Having  discussed  matters  concerned  with  the 
collecting  of  armour,  we  will  now  turn  to  questions 
relating  to  the  actual  armour  itself. 

Armour  may  be  conveniently  divided  into  twelve 
periods,  as  follows  ^ : — 

I.  Pre-Norman. 
n.  Norman  period  to  ii8o. 
HI.  The  Chain  Mail  Period,  1 180-1250. 
IV.  Chain  Mail  Reinforced,  1250-132 5. 
V.  TheCyclas  Period,  1325-35. 
VI.  The     Studded     and     Splintered     Armour 
Period,  1335-60. 
VII.  The  Camail  and  Jupon  Period,  1 360-1410. 
VIII.  The  Surcoatless  Period,  1410-30. 
IX.  The  Tabard  Period,  1430-1500. 
X.  The  Transition  Period,  1500-25. 
XL  Maximilian  Armour,  1 525-1600. 
XII.  The  Half- Armour  Period,  after  1600. 

^  There  are  various  ways  of  classifying  armour,  but  we  have  here 
followed  (Class  I  excepted)  Ashdown  in  "  British  and  P'oreign  Arms 
and  Armour." 


ARMOUE 


75 


6  yi 


76         CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

The  Pre-Norman  Period  is,  in  reality,  composed  of  a 
number  of  preparatory  eras  which  paved  the  way  for 
the  Norman  period,  the  first  to  use  complete  suits  of 
protective  covering.  The  Greeks  with  their  Boeotian 
helms  and  cuirasses,  the  Romans  with  their  "  skull- 
cap" helmets,  the  Saxons  and  Danes  with  their 
head,  chest,  and  leg  coverings,  all  led  up  to  the 
armour  as  we  see  it  depicted  by  the  Bayeux  Tapestry. 
This  period  is  of  little  interest  to  collectors,  as 
specimens  are  quite  unobtainable. 

The  Norman  Period  introduced  the  peculiar  but 
distinctive  helmet,  conical  in  shape  and  provided 
with  a  nose  protection  or  "  nasal."  The  body  cover- 
ing was  worn  from  head  to  toes,  the  feet  and  legs 
being  enveloped  in  "  chausses  "  made  of  a  pliable 
substance  provided  with  a  generous  supply  of  metal 
studs.  The  shield  was,  of  course,  an  important 
feature  of  the  Norman  dress ;  it  was  more  or  less 
heart-shaped,  and  bent  so  as  to  fit  round  the  body. 

The  Chain  Mail  Period. — Between  ii8o  and  1250 
the  armour  suit  underwent  considerable  changes. 
The  Norman  conical  helmet  gave  place  to  the 
heaume,  which  usually  had  a  flat  surface,  squared 
at  the  top,  curved  lines  under  the  chin,  and  peep- 
holes or  ocularia  in  front.  A  surcoat  or  tunic,  with- 
out sleeves,  which  was  fitted  over  the  usual  armour, 
was  also  a  feature  of  this  era.  But,  of  course,  the  ! 
introduction  of  chain  mail  was  the  outstanding  point 
of  interest. 

Chain  Mail  Reinforced. — This  period  saw  the  gradual 
introduction  of  heaumes  with  curved  crowns,  often 
bearing  ornamental  devices,  of  ailettes  to  protect  the 


A   FLINT-LOCK   PISTOL 


y 


\'-''' 


r 


tt 


THE  ACTION  PART  OF  THE  AHOVE, 

77 


:rmour 

shoulders  and  neck,  of  banded  mail,  and  of  chain 
mail  reinforced  with  sections  of  plate. 

The  Cyclas  Period. — "  Probably  at  no  time  in  the 
history  of  defensive  armour,"  says  Ashdown,^  "has 
it  presented  a  more  picturesque  appearance  than 
during  the  brief  ten  years  of  the  Cyclas  Period. 
Fitting  closely  to  the  figure,  the  various  garments 
followed  the  outlines  of  the  human  form,  and  in  no 
parts  showed  any  marked  peculiarities  or  eccentri- 
cities. The  evolution  of  the  style  was  undoubtedly 
derived  from  the  experience  gained  during  the 
Chain  Mail  Period,  when  that  defence  was  proved 
to  be  ineffectual  against  the  terrible  effects  of  lance 
and  sword.  Both  of  these  weapons,  even  if  they 
did  not  actually  pierce  the  mail,  either  bruised  the 
body  or  broke  bones,  and  thereby  incapacitated  the 
wearer ;  while  the  protection  afforded  by  the  loosely 
hanging  folds  of  the  surcoat  of  previous  periods, 
especially  against  sword-cuts,  had  been  duly  noted. 
Hence,  during  the  Cyclas  Period  we  meet  with  the 
introduction  of  multitudinous  coverings,  whereby  the 
lance,  the  sword,  and  the  arrow  were  opposed  by 
plate  and  mail,  and  by  various  padded  garments  of  a 
textile  nature." 

The  Studded  and  Splintered  Armour  Period. — This 
form  of  armour  directly  owes  its  introduction  to  the 
conflicts  between  the  English  and  French,  and  the 
ideas  for  improvement  which  were  prompted  by 
actual  experience  on  the  battlefield.  The  style  was 
none  other  than  a  piecing  together  of  the  best 
features  of  chain  mail,  plate,  and  cuir-bouilli.     The 

*  '•  British  and  Foreign  Arms  and  Armour,"  p.  139. 


80         CHATS   ON  MILITARY   CURIOS 

bascinets  of  this  time  were  unusual,  having  much  the 
appearance  of  metal  hoods,  provided  or  not  provided 
with  visors.  The  surcoat  and  the  chausses  were 
essential  features  of  the  period. 

The  Camail  and  Jupon  Period. — This  is  probably 
one  of  the  most  interesting  and  picturesque  periods 
in  the  history  of  armour.  The  headgear  was  usually 
pointed  and  fitted  down  closely  over  the  ears,  but 
left  the  face  free.  Laced  to  the  helmet  and  falling 
over  the  shoulders  was  a  plastron  of  camail  which 
protected  the  throat  and  neck  from  violence.  The 
jupon  was  a  garment  which  covered  the  body  from 
the  camail  to  just  above  the  knees.  It  consisted  of 
whatever  material  the  wearer  thought  was  the  most 
impervious  to  blows,  with,  usually,  a  velvet  covering, 
embroidered  with  a  heraldic  device. 

The  Surcoatless  Period  is  easily  recognized,  as  it 
was  the  earliest  period  in  which  a  full  set  of  armour 
was  worn  with  no  textile  covering  placed  over  it'  A 
feature  of  note  was  the  loss  of  the  camail  throat- 
guard  and  the  introduction  of  a  light  sheet-metal 
gorget.  The  camail  was,  undoubtedly,  an  efficient 
safeguard,  but  it  was  extremely  weighty  and  so 
caused  much  inconvenience  to  the  wearer. 

The  Tabard  Period  saw  the  introduction  of  many 
changes,  which  had  for  their  object  the  greater 
protection  of  the  armoured  soldier;  but  the  most 
distinguishing  feature  was  the  arrival  of  the  tabard, 
a  kind  of  sleeved  surcoat,  which  covered  the  wearer 
down  to  the  knees.  It  was  of  no  fighting  value, 
but  gave  dignity  to  those  who   displayed   it.     The 

^  Ashdown,  *'  British  and  Foreign  Arms  and  Armour,"  p.  194. 


ARMOUR 


81 


salade  also  belongs  to  this  period,  both  those  with 
and  those  without  visors,  as  well  as  the  pauldron, 
a  protection  for  the  elbow,  and  the  palette,  which 
shielded  the  underneath  portion  of  the  shoulder-joint. 

The  Transition  Period  brought  helmets  which,  by 
reason  of  their  movable  visors,  cheek-pieces,  and 
mentonni^res,  gave  greater  safety  to  the  head.  But 
the  period  is  more  readily  distinguished  by  the 
mail  skirt,  which  was  worn  suspended  from  the 
waist.  Of  this  period  Ashdown  writes  :  "  Very 
important  alterations  occurred  in  armour  of  this 
period,  differentiating  it  from  that  of  the  preceding. 
The  great  pauldrons,  exaggerated  coudieres,  and 
general  angularity,  and  one  might  almost  say 
prickliness,  of  the  later  Tabard  Period  was  modified 
to  a  smoother  and  rounder  style,  while  it  lost 
entirely  that  remarkable  beauty  of  form  which, 
however  much  distorted  by  fanciful  additions,  char- 
acterized the  Gothic  armour  as  a  whole.  The 
beautiful  flutings  and  ornamental  curves  disappeared 
to  make  way  for  a  heavy,  cumbersome  style  indi- 
cative of  German  stolidity,  and  in  direct  antagonism 
to  the  mobile  quickness  and  agility  suggested  by 
the  majority  of  suits  dating  from  the  latter  half  of 
the  previous  century."  ^ 

Maximilian  Armour. — With  the  gradual  employment 
of  gunpowder  even  the  best  kinds  of  armour  lost 
their  military  value,  and,  consequently,  the  sixteenth 
century  saw  a  decline  in  the  use  of  steel  suits  for 
purposes  of  warfare.  There  was  no  reason,  however, 
why  steel-clad  men  should  not  continue  to  be  seen 
*'  British  and  Foreign  Arms  and  Armour,"  p.  270, 

5 


82         CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

at  tilting  tournaments,  even  though  the  arquebus  had 
proved  its  value  in  dealing  death  and  destruction. 
Consequently  we  find  that  armour  was  still  used 
during  this  century  at  these  functions  of  chivalry, 
and  it  was  the  kind  favoured  by  Emperor  Maxi- 
milian which  was  mostly  worn — hence  the  name. 
Its  outstanding  features  were  excessive  ornamentation 
and  artistic  finish. 

The  Half-Armour  Period. — This  is  the  period  during 
which  steel  dress  was  gradually  dying  out.  "The 
period  exhibits  a  brutal  strength  and  crudity  in 
armour  which  forcibly  suggests  boiler-plate  work. 
The  defences  were  simply  made  to  cover  the  vital 
parts  of  the  body  with  the  maximum  amount  of 
efificiency,  without  any  consideration  whatever  for 
gracefulness  of  outline  or  beauty  of  surface."  ^  The 
metal  covering  of  these  times  was  obviously  fashioned 
with  the  idea  of  making  a  compromise  between  pro- 
tection and  mobility,  and  it  gradually  dwindled  until 
the  head  alone  was  safeguarded. 

So  passed  away  the  armour  which,  as  James  I 
once  said,  was  a  very  useful  invention,  for  it  saved 
not  only  the  wearer  from  being  killed,  but  it  was 
so  hampering  that  it  prevented  him  from  killing 
any  one  else. 

Many  technical  terms  are  used  in  armoury  which 
need  explaining.  The  following  are  those  which 
occur  most  frequently: — 

Barded. — A  horse  fully  armoured. 

*  Ashdown,  *'  British  and  Foreign  Arms  and  Armour,"  p.  313. 


4 


ARMOUR 


83 


Bascinet. — A  helmet  which  protected  the  back  of  the 
head  and  neck. 

Brassarts. — Plate  armour  for  the  upper  part  of  the 
arm,  reaching  from  the  shoulder  to  the  elbow, 
sometimes  in  a  single  piece,  sometimes  in  a 
series  of  overlapping  plates. 

Brigandine. — Armour  worn  at  one  time  by  brigands — 
hence  the  name.  It  consisted  of  a  foundation 
of  quilted  leather,  upon  which  was  sewn  a 
number  of  small  metal  plates,  and  thus  formed 
a  good  defence  for  the  body  against  the  sword 
and  the  pike. 

Burgonet. — A  fifteenth-century  helmet,  usually  round 
to  fit  the  head,  but  provided  with  a  peak  to 
protect  the  eyes. 

Cabasset. — Like  the  morion,  it  was  a  simple  metal 
hat  with  a  dome-shaped  crown  and  a  brim. 
It   had  no  visor,   gorget,   neck-guard,   etc. 

Chain  Mail. — A  covering  which  consisted  of  an  end- 
less number  of  rings  laced  one  into  the  other. 
Each  ring  had  four  others  threaded  into  it.  The 
individual  rings  were  known  as  "grains  d'orge." 

Chamfrien. — The  metal  covering  for  a  horse's  face ; 
often  provided  with  a  spike. 

Chausses. — The  metal  leggings  used  in  armour. 

Corslet. — A  suit  of  armour  worn  chiefly  by  pikemen. 
The  word  was  used,  not  only  to  denote  the 
body  covering  but  the  whole  outfit  from  head 
to  knees. 

Coudiere. — An  elbow  guard. 

Crinifere. — A  number  of  plates  hooked  together  to 
guard  a  horse's  neck ;  it  rested  on  the  mane. 


84         CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

Cuirass. — Armour  for  the  breast  and  back,  consisting 
of  two  plates  united  at  the  sides  of  the  body. 
They  were  originally  fashioned  out  of  leather 
{cuir  =  leather). 

Bspaliere. — Covering  for  the  shoulders  and  the  upper 
part  of  the  arm. 

Gauntlet. — The  protection  used  for  covering  the  hands. 

Qenouilliere. — Flexible  knee  pieces  with  joints 
reminiscent  of  those  possessed  by  lobsters. 

Gorget. — A  protection  for  the  throat ;  it  also  sus- 
tained the  weight  of  the  whole  armour  outfit. 

Greeves. — Plate  armour  for  the  legs. 

Haubergeon. — A  coat  made  probably  of  plate  or 
chain  mail  but  without  sleeves. 

Hauberk. — This  was  a  complete  covering  of  mail 
from  head  to  foot,  consisting  of  a  hood  joined 
to  a  jacket,  with  sleeves,  breeches,  stockings, 
and  shoes  of  double  chain  mail,  to  which  were 
added  gauntlets. 

Heaume. — A  head  covering,  introduced  in  the  Chain- 
mail  period.     (See  p.  75). 

Hufden. — A  head  piece  which  fitted  closely  round 
the  skull ;  it  was  worn  by  archers  in  Queen 
Elizabeth's  time. 

Jazeran. — A  hauberk  which  was  covered  with  over- 
lapping plates. 

Mentonniere. — A  portion  of  the  head  piece  which  pro- 
tected the  chin  and  the  lower  part  of  the  face. 

Morion. — See  Cabasset. 

Ocularium. — The  peep-hole  of  the  helmet. 

Palette. — A   shield   or  covering  used  to  protect  the" 
arm  and  shoulder-joint. 


THE    BARREL   OF   A    GU\    ORNAMENTED   WITH    A  TWIN    HEAD   OF    MINERVA. 


AN   OLD   POWDER-FLASK. 
85 


ARMOUR 


87 


I 


Pauldrons. — Pieces  of  armour  for  the  shoulders  ;  the 

origin  of  epaulettes. 
Plate  mail. — This    consisted    of   a   number  of  small 

lamenae  of  metal,  commonly  iron,  which   were 

so   arranged    as    to    slightly   overlap    like    the 

scales  of  a  fish.     Usually  a  leather  foundation 

was  provided. 
Poitrinal. — The  covering  for  a  horse's  hindquarters  ;  a 

guard  against  sword  slashes. 
Pot. — A  cabasset  or  morion. 
Eerebrace. — A   protection    for  the  part   between   the 

elbows  and  shoulders. 
Rondelle. — A  guard  for    the  inner   side  of  the   arm 

which  wields  the  weapon. 
Salade. — A  light  casque,  sometimes  provided  with  a 

visor,  but  without  crest. 
SoUerets. — Overlapping  plates  which  formed  the  shoe 

of  an  armed  knight.     Cf.  Chausses. 
Tapul. — The   perpendicular  ridge  down   the   middle 

of  a  breastplate. 
Targe. — A  shield. 
Tassets. — A  series   of  flexible  plates  hooked  to  the 

skirt  of  the  cuirass,  protecting  the  thighs. 
Visor. — The  movable  face-guard  of  a  helmet. 


VI 

WEAPONS 


CHAPTER  VI 


WEAPONS 


'Buying  specimens — Storing  them — Hand  culverins — The  serpentin — 
The  wheel-lock— The  flint-lock— The  rifle— Swords— The  effect 
of  armour  on  swords — Swords  with  historical  associations — Other 
weapons 


Of  all  the  antiques  which  are  to  be  found  in  an 
average  bric-k-brac  shop  there  is  probably  nothing 
upon  which  the  dealer  is  so  ignorant  as  the  class  of 
military  curio  which  comes  under  the  head  of 
weapons  ;  as  a  consequence,  we  find  that  the  ruling 
prices  for  these  relics  of  the  battlefield  are  either 
excessively  dear  or  ridiculously  cheap. 

There  is  nothing  in  this  state  of  things  to  cause  the 
collector  of  weapons  to  grumble,  for  if  he  be  wise  he 
will  add  to  his  treasures  when  a  bargain  is  to  be  had, 
but  not  when  specimens  are  dear.  The  process 
makes  collecting  a  somewhat  slow  business,  but  it 
enables  us  to  get  together  a  whole  host  of  interesting 
things  at  a  very  small  cost. 

A  few  weeks  ago  the  writer  spent  an  afternoon  in 
going  round  to  the  antique  shops  in  a  certain  quarter 
of  London.  Here  are  some  of  the  prices  which  he 
^B      was  asked,  and  which  he  considers  were  out  of  reason. 


n 


92        CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

For  a  rifle  used  by  Kruger's  men,  £^  ;  worth  at  the 
most  half  this  sum.  For  a  rifle  and  bayonet  said  to 
have  been  used  at  Waterloo,  ^i.  For  a  sixteenth- 
century  sword,  5s.  The  sword  was  so  heavy  that  it 
would  have  almost  fetched  this  price  as  old  metal. 
For  an  eighteenth-century  flint-lock,  not  in  good 
condition,  ;^20.  Needless  to  add,  that  while  the 
writer  was  not  impelled  to  purchase  the  flint-lock,  he 
snapped  up  the  sword  eagerly. 

The  collector  of  weapons  must  be  very  careful 
how  he  stores  his  treasures.  To  leave,  say,  a  bayonet 
where  it  can  be  handled  by  children  is  almost  a 
criminal  act ;  to  buy  a  firearm  and  not  examine  the 
charging  chamber  immediately  is,  if  anything,  a  trifle 
more  unscrupulous.  Thoughtlessness  has  accounted 
for  a  good  many  tragedies,  and  so  it  ought  to  be  the 
determination  of  the  curio-hunter  to  see  that  his 
treasures  are  stored  out  of  harm's  way.  Swords, 
bayonets,  rifles,  and  other  lengthy  weapons  are  con- 
veniently kept  on  the  walls  of  living-rooms,  and  if 
placed  horizontally  and  fairly  high  up  are  safe  and 
ornamental.  Smaller  things,  such  as  daggers  and 
pistols,  are  better  preserved  in  glass  cases.  Steel 
implements  which,  when  exposed  continuously  to 
the  air,  are  apt  to  deteriorate,  should  be  carefully 
cleaned  and  then  coated  with  a  thin  layer  of  copal 
varnish.  If  the  varnish  be  painted  on  sparingly  and 
no  patches  are  left  uncoated,  the  metal  will  remain 
bright  permanently,  and  only  require  an  occasional 
dusting.  If  the  specimen  which  is  to  be  treated  is 
rusty,  it  should  be  carefully  gone  over  previously 
with  emery,  but  should  it  have  a  chased,  engraved, 


A   SOUTH    AFRICAN"   POM-POM   SHELL   AND   A    MARTINI-HENRI    CARTRIDGE. 


CARTRIDGES  AS  USED   IN  THE  GREAT  WAR. 

(From  left  to  right :  German,  French,  Belgian,  and  Hritish.) 

93 


WEAPONS 


95 


or  damascened  surface,  it  will  be  advisable  to  soak 

it    in    benzine    for    a  week    or    more,    and    then 

give  it  a  rubbing  until  a  sufficient  polish  has  been 
obtained. 


Of  the  weapons  with  which  we  shall  deal  in  these 
pages,  probably  firearms  are  the  most  interesting. 
Such  implements  have  been  in  use  among  armies  for 
many  centuries,  but  as  cannon  and  other  large  pieces 
possess  little  interest  for  the  collector,  on  account  of 
their  size,  it  will  be  convenient  to  omit  the  earliest 
firearms  and  speak  first  of  hand  culverins. 

This  weapon  consisted  of  a  small  tube  of  J  to  J  in. 
internal  diameter,  fixed  to  a  straight  piece  of  wood 
or  welded  to  an  iron  handle.  At  the  close  of  the 
fifteenth  century  it  was  extensively  employed.  In 
147 1  culverins  were  in  the  army  of  Edward  IV, 
after  his  landing  at  Ravenspur,  Yorkshire.  The 
smallest  hand  patterns,  weighing  15  lb.,  were  used 
on  horseback,  whilst  heavier  weapons  of  sixty  odd 
pounds'  weight  were  manipulated  by  foot  soldiers 
and  fired  from  trestles  or  tripods.^ 

The  culverin  may  be  seen  in  a  variety  of  makes ; 
some  possess  a  touch-hole  and  flash-pan  at  the  side, 
whilst  the  earlier  kinds  have  no  flash-pan  at  all.  In 
some  the  barrel  is  circular,  whilst  in  others  it  is 
hexagonal  or  octagonal.  Of  course,  specimens  are 
only  to  be  found  in  museums,  and  are  seldom  obtain- 
able for  private  collections. 

Early  in  the  sixteenth  century  the  culverin  gave 
place  to  the  serpentin,  which,  in  turn,  was  slightly 

*  See  article  on  •'  Firearms  "  in  Chambers* s  Encychpcedia. 


96         CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

modified  and  became  the  famous  match-lock.  To 
fire  the  culverin,  the  attendant  had  to  stand  with  a 
lighted  match  over  the  touch-hole,  but  in  the 
serpentin  the  igniter  was  gripped  by  a  lever  which 
descended  into  the  flash-pan.  The  match-lock  had 
the  flash-pan  covered  by  a  lid,  which  gave  a  certain 
amount  of  protection  to  the  sparking  action  in  wet 
or  windy  weather. 

The  next  innovation  was  the  wheel-lock,  a  weapon 
which  possessed  a  metal  disc  provided  with  a 
serrated  edge.  By  winding  up  the  disc  and  using 
the  trigger  to  release  it,  it  was  possible  to  make  the 
serrated  wheel  fly  round  at  a  considerable  rate.  As 
the  rough  teeth  revolved,  they  scraped  against  a 
piece  of  flint  and  so  produced  sparks,  which  flew  into 
the  flash-pan  and  caused  ignition  of  the  powder 
charge.  The  system  was  certainly  an  ingenious  one, 
but  the  cost  of  making  these  elaborate  pieces  of 
mechanism  militated  against  the  general  use  of  the 
wheel-lock  for  army  purposes. 

After  the  wheel-lock  came  the  flint-lock.  This 
style  of  arm  possessed  a  hammer  which  was  pro- 
vided with  a  "  flint-cock."  When  released,  the  flint 
and  the  steel  came  into  violent  contact,  and  produced 
sparks  which  flew  into  the  touch-powder. 

The  flint-lock  was  commonly  used  in  the  Nether- 
lands, and  was  brought  to  England  by  William  of 
Orange,  remaining  in  use  until  1840.^  Specimens 
are  obtainable  for  private  collections,  but  early 
patterns  are  of  some  rarity  and  fairly  expen- 
sive. 

^  See  article  on  "Firearms"  in  Chambers s  Encyclopedia. 


WEAPONS  97 

The  later  history  of  the  hand  firearm  used  in  the 
Army  is  interesting.  "In  1635  a  patent  was  taken 
out  for  making  rifles  in  England.  In  the  first  half 
of  the  next  century  Benjamin  Robins,  a  gunsmith, 
who  died  in  175 1,  made  an  alteration  in  the  centre 
of  gravity  in  the  rifle  by  placing  it  nearer  the  forepart, 
and  he  also  made  the  bullets  oval  instead  of  round. 
He  discovered  the  true  theory  of  the  rifle :  *  That 
the  spinning  of  a  rifle  ball,  like  the  rotation  of  an 
arrow,  kept  the  axis  of  either  in  the  same  direction 
throughout  their  flight,  and,  to  a  great  extent,  pre- 
vented the  irregularities  caused  by  the  inequalities 
in  the  substance  of  the  bullet  when  driven  from  a 
shot-gun  or  musket.'  But  strangely  enough  Robins, 
though  by  far  the  ablest  writer  on  projectiles  of  his 
own  and  many  succeeding  generations,  exercised  but 
a  slight  influence  on  his  contemporaries.  The  Govern- 
ment of  his  day  was  not  moved  by  his  representa- 
tions, or  convinced  by  his  theory.  The  Ministers  of 
that  day  were  slow  in  adopting  improvements,  a 
common  failing  of  Ministers  as  a  body,  and  riflemen 
were  unknown  among  English  troops  until  the 
necessity  for  them  was  made  evident  in  the 
American  War.  The  rifle  was  necessary  to  the  ex- 
istence of  the  backwoodsmen.  Practice  made  them 
excellent  shots,  and  when  the  Colonial  irregulars 
were  able  to  obtain  suitable  cover,  regular  troops 
could  not  stand  before  them.  After  a  time  foreign 
aid  was  resorted  to.  Hessian,  Hanoverian,  and 
Danish  riflemen  were  engaged  to  serve  against  the 
revolted  colonists ;  and  it  was  not  until  upwards  of 
ten   years  after  the  independence  of  America  was 


98         CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

recognized  that  the  first  English  rifle  regiment  was 
formed."  ^ 

During  the  first  half  of  the  nineteenth  century  all 
infantry  regiments,  with  the  exception  of  the  Rifle 
Corps,  were  served  with  smooth-bored  muskets,  but 
after  185 1  the  Mini^  rifle  was  universally  used.  This 
weapon  showed  a  distinct  advance,  but  it  had  one 
serious  drawback — it  was  heavy,  as  many  of  the  men 
who  fought  in  the  Crimea  learned  by  bitter  experi- 
ence. In  1853  the  long  Enfield  rifle,  a  much  lighter 
implement,  was  given  to  our  soldiers.  This  was  fol- 
lowed in  i860  by  the  short  pattern  Enfield  ;  in  1864 
by  the  Snider  ;  in  1871  by  the  Martini-Henri ;  in  1886 
by  the  Enfield-Martini ;  in  1887  by  the  Lee-Metford, 
Mark  I,  and  the  Mark  II  in  1898  ;  whilst  to-day  the 
Service  pattern  is  the  Lee-Enfield,  Mark  III. 

Swords  are  interesting  weapons  from  the  collector's 
point  of  view.  As  the  antique  specimens  were  stoutly 
made,  of  material  that  did  not  easily  perish,  it  is  quite 
possible  to  buy  them,  two  or  three  hundred  years  old, 
at  no  very  great  cost. 

It  is  not  an  easy  matter  to  detect  the  date  of  a 
sword,  but  the  armed  figures  on  old  prints,  drawings, 
coins,  etc.,  often  hint  at  the  period  of  construction. 
The  Bayeux  tapestry,  for  instance,  enables  us  to  see 
that  the  Norman  pattern  was  of  simple  design,  being 
straight,  rather  short,  tapering  and  double-edged, 
whilst  the  handle  was  merely  a  grip  with  but  little 
protection.  This  shape  of  sword,  it  may  be  said,  was 
used  for  some  three  or  four  hundred  years,  and  even 

*  W.  G.  Clifford,  "  Peeps  at  the  British  Army,"  p.  68. 


WEAPONS 


1.  Sword  of  time  of  Norman  Conquest. 

2.  Sword  of  Fifteenth  Century. 

3.  Court  Sword  of  Eighteenth  Century. 

4.  Basket  of  Cavalry  Sword,  Nineteenth  Century. 

5.  Cutlas  Sabre,  Fifteenth  Century. 

6.  Glaive. 

7.  Bill. 

8.  Halberd. 

9.  Pole  Axe-head. 

10.  Head  of  Two-handed  Sword. 


100       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

in  1400  the  majority  of  the  specimens  were  much  the 
same.    It  is  true  that  by  this  time  the  quillons  were  be- 
coming curved  towards  the  blade,  probably  so  that  a 
slash  would  be  arrested  before  it  reached  the  knuckle 
of  the  soldier  who  received  the  blow.     Of  the  sword 
of  this   period  Ashdown  writes  :   "  The  sword  was 
attached  to  the  belt  at  the  uppermost  part  of  the 
scabbard,  and  hung  perpendicularly  at  the  left  side. 
It  generally  had  a  wheel   pommel   and  a   swelling 
grip,  with  quillons  either  straight  or  drooping  slightly 
towards  the  blade.     The  latter  was  about  an  inch 
and  a  half  broad  at  the  hilt,  thirty  inches  in  length, 
and  tapered  to  the  point,  while  the  section  was  either 
of  a  flattened  or  a  lozenge  shape.     It  was  double- 
edged,  and  had  a  grip  of  varying  dimensions,  ranging 
from  four  inches  in  length  to  an  extent  which,  in  some 
examples,  almost  suggests  a  two-handed  weapon,  or 
the  hand-and-a-half  or  bastard  sword  of  a  later  period. 
The  pommel,  grip,  and  scabbard  were  at  times  elabo- 
rately enriched  with  a  profusion  of  ornament.     A 
new    weapon    was    introduced   at  this   period,  the 
misericorde  or  dagger  of  mercy,  used  for  dispatch- 
ing  a   fallen   foe   whose   wounds   were   beyond   all 
surgical  aid.    It  was  a  straight  dagger,  with  no  guard 
as  a  rule,  and  having  both  the  hilt  and   scabbard 
curiously  ornamented ;  the  blade  had  but  one  edge, 
the  section  being  triangular."  ^ 

As   armour  became   more  developed  so  changes 
appeared  in  the  sword.     The  implement  of  medium 
weight    was    no    longer    serviceable    against    well- 
tempered  metal  suits ;  accordingly,  the  sword  became 
"  Arms  and  Armour,"  p.  181. 


^  O 


O  Oj 

2jj  S  OS 

C3  '^   ^ 


Z   O   <C 


101 


WEAPONS  103 

heavy  and  ponderous,  so  that  it  might  smash  where  it 
would  not  be  able  to  cut.  So  heavy  were  specimens 
made  that  they  needed  two  hands  to  wield  them, 
and  as  this  prevented  a  shield  being  supported,  the 
quillons  were  so  shaped  as  to  give  extra  protection. 
This  was  the  origin  of  the  basket  hilts  of  present 
patterns. 

Some  swords  are  worthy  of  note  on  account  of 
their  shape  and  age,  but  others  claim  attention  by 
reason  of  their  historical  associations.  In  the  Royal 
United  Service  Museum  there  are  many  that  are 
worth  seeing  from  the  latter  point  of  view.  One  in 
particular  may  be  mentioned.  The  exhibit  bears  the 
following  inscription :  "  Sword  of  Admiral  Villeneuve, 
Commander-in-Chief  of  the  combined  fleets  of  France 
and  Spain,  surrendered  to  Lord  Collingwood  at  the 
battle  off  Cape  Trafalgar,  October  21,  1805.  ^t 
was  offered  to  Captain  Atcherley,  of  the  Marines. 
Atcherley  refused  to  accept  it,  and  took  Villeneuve 
in  his  boat  that  he  might  surrender  to  Captain 
Pellew.  Admiral  Villeneuve,  having  been  taken 
prisoner,  was  sent  to  England,  where  he  was 
detained  until  May  3,  1806." 

Beyond  firearms  and  swords  the  collector  may  find 
many  treasures  among  such  weapons  as  daggers, 
bayonets,  lances,  battle-axes,  pikes,  spears,  boome- 
rangs, assegais,  and  native  clubs.  It  should  always 
be  remembered,  however,  that  the  weapons  used  by 
British  forces,  past  and  present,  are  of  more  interest 
and  value  than  those  coming  from  savage  races. 


6 


VII 


EARLY  BRITISH 
WAR  MEDALS 


CHAPTER  VII 

EARLY  BRITISH   WAR   MEDALS 


How  to  arrange  a  collection  of  medals — Factors  which  influence  the 
value  of  a  medal — The  earliest  medals — The  first  English  medal — 
The  first  English  military  medal — The  Forlorn  Hope  medal — 
The  Dunbar  medal — The  CuUoden  medal — Medals  granted  by 
the  Honourable  East  India  Company — The  Pope's  medal,  1793 — 
The  Emperor  Francis  II  of  Germany's  medal,  1794  —  The 
Seringapatam  medal — The  Egyptian  medal,  1801 — The  Rodriguez 
medal — The  Nepaul  medal — The  Maida  medal — The  Peninsular 
officers'  medal 


The  dignity  which  enshrines  a  collection  of  war 
medals  is  something  greater  and  fuller  than  that 
which  can  be  ascribed  to  almost  any  other  branch 
of  curio  collecting.  Coins,  china,  furniture,  and 
prints  are  all  fascinating  in  their  way,  but  none 
seem  to  have  the  same  depth  of  interest  as  is 
possessed  by  the  average  collection  of  war  medals. 
To  handle  one  of  these  tokens  of  strife  and  blood- 
shed is  to  call  up  feelings  of  reverence  and  honour 
for  the  man  who  spent  his  energies  so  freely  in 
earning  it,  and  it  is  probably  on  account  of  this 
extrinsic  quality  that  war  medals  are  so  highly 
prized  among  connoisseurs. 

With  many  forms  of  collecting,  the  different  speci- 
mens that  are  available  are  so  numerous  as  to  be 

lOf 


108       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

overwhelming,  but  this  drawback  cannot  act  as  a 
deterrent  to  the  would-be  medal  collector.  British 
medals  have  been  fashioned  with  a  sparing  hand, 
and  their  number  is  more  or  less  limited.  Many  of 
them,  it  is  true,  are  extremely  costly,  whilst  a  select 
few  are  quite  prohibitive  in  price — a  matter  which, 
perhaps,  adds  to  the  zest  of  collecting. 

The  best  method  of  storing  these  treasures  is  to 
follow  the  plan  adopted  by  coin-collectors,  and  to 
range  them  on  trays  in  the  shallow  drawers  of  coin- 
cabinets.  Where  the  pieces  are  few  in  number,  it  is  a 
good  plan  to  mount  them  on  a  board  covered  with 
black  velvet,  and  to  frame  them  just  as  one  does  a 
picture.  To  have  no  particular  method  of  keeping 
them,  to  leave  them  lying  loose  in  drawers,  or  to 
place  them  as  casual  ornaments  in  curio  or  china 
cabinets  is  decidedly  wrong,  for  a  few  scratches,  a 
fall,  or  a  little  rough  handling  will  often  reduce 
considerably  the  value  of  a  specimen. 

For  the  benefit  of  the  uninitiated,  it  may  be  well  to 
mention  that  not  only  does  the  value  of  a  medal 
depend  upon  its  state  of  preservation — that  is  to  say, 
whether  it  is  in  mint  condition,  slightly  rubbed,  much 
worn,  scratched,  battered,  re-engraved,  etc. — but  also 
upon  the  number  of  clasps  that  go  with  it.  It  must 
not  be  thought  that  collectors  tolerate  the  indis- 
criminate adding  of  clasps  to  claspless  medals.  A 
medal  that  was  awarded  with,  say,  one  additional 
honour  cannot  be  turned  into  a  three-clasp  decora- 
tion by  purchasing  two  clasps  from  a  dealer  and 
placing  them  upon  the  slide  ribbon.  The  medal  in 
question,  if  it  be  less  than  a  hundred  years  old,  has 


«    •  •  ••  • 


•  •• » •   *  • ' 


./^?.?:-:;:-i-v; 


-nr* 


ROYALIST   BADGE   WORN    BY   THE    PARTISANS  OF   CHARLES   I. 


109 


EARLY  BRITISH  WAR  MEDALS     111 

the  name  of  the  original  possessor  engraved  upon  the 
flange,  and  by  turning  to  the  Medal  Rolls  the  number 
of  clasps  issued  with  the  particular  decoration  can  be 
found.  Another  factor  which  affects  the  value  of  a 
medal  is  the  regiment  to  which  it  was  issued.  A 
medal  given  to  a  private  in  a  crack  regiment  will 
possess  a  greater  value  than  an  identical  medal 
awarded  to  a  private  in  a  less  noted  one.  The 
rank  of  the  recipient  is  also  taken  into  account ;  this, 
however,  is  perhaps  only  natural. 


Medals  were  known  to  the  Ancients.  The  Greeks, 
for  instance,  have  left  behind  them  many  interesting 
specimens  which  can  still  be  seen  in  our  public 
museums,  but  none  of  them  were  given  as  recom- 
penses for  military  bravery.  The  ordinary  soldier  of 
these  early  days  had  no  status,  and  therefore  received 
no  rewards,  whilst  the  leaders  were  given  crowns  of 
laurel,  bracelets,  and  neck  chains  of  gold  for  the 
services  they  rendered. 

It  was  Queen  Elizabeth  who  first  thought  of  giving 
medals  to  British  fighting  men,  and  it  was  the  crews 
of  the  ships  which  sailed  out  to  meet  the  Armada 
that  received  them. 

The  first  medals  to  be  given  for  military,  as  distinct 
from  naval,  honours  were  struck  by  Charles  I. 
Probably  the  very  earliest  award  made  by  this  King 
was  the  medal  presented  to  Sir  Robert  Welch,  an 
officer  in  the  Royalist  Cavalry,  whose  bravery  in 
recovering  the  standard  from  the  Parliamentary 
forces  at  Edge  Hill  excited  the  admiration  of  every 
member  in  his  party. 


112       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

Charles  gave  orders  for  many  other  medals  to  be 
struck,  but  most  of  them  were  presented  to  officers 
holding  high  posts  who  had  performed  special 
services  in  times  of  peace  as  well  as  war.  Many  of 
these  decorations  were  fashioned  in  single  copies,  and 
as  practically  none  of  them  bore  any  inscriptions 
beyond  the  title  and  motto  of  the  King,  it  is  im- 
possible to  ascribe  them  to  any  definite  act  of  military 
value.  They  were  all  oval  in  shape,  whilst  the 
designs  showed  considerable  artistic  merit. 

All  these  medals  were  intended  to  be  worn  sus- 
pended around  the  neck,  or  fixed  brooch-like  in  the 
hat.  Usually,  the  ribbons  which  were  worn  with 
them  could  be  selected  by  the  possessor  at  will,  no 
fixed  pattern  being  officially  decreed,  as  obtains  in 
present  times.  As  may  be  expected,  specimens 
belonging  to  this  early  period  are  now  extremely 
costly,  but  they  are  often  obtainable  at  public  sales. 
A  fine  collection  of  them  may  be  inspected  in  the 
medal-room  at  the  British  Museum. 

Charles  I  evidently  had  great  faith  in  the  value 
of  decorations,  for  we  find  that  towards  the  latter  part 
of  his  reign  he  instituted  a  general  medal,  known 
popularly  as  the  Forlorn  Hope  medal,  which  was  to 
be  awarded  much  on  the  lines  which  regulate  the 
granting  of  the  Victoria  Cross  to-day. 

The  warrant  which  announced  these  awards  ran  as 
follows : — 

"  Charles  R.  Trusty  and  well  beloved,  we  greet 
you  well,  whereas  we  have  received  information  that 
those  soldiers  which  have  been  forward  to  serve  us  in 
the  Forlorn-hope,  are  not  looked  upon  according  to 


EARLY  BRITISH  WAR  MEDALS     113 


their  merited  valour  and  loyal  service.  We  do, 
therefore,  require,  that  from  henceforward,  the  Com- 
mander-in-Chief both  of  Horse  and  Foot,  which  lead 
up  the  Forlorn-hope  upon  whom  also  we  mean  to 
bestow  special  tokens  of  our  princely  favour,  do 
signify  in  writing  the  names  of  those  soldiers  whom 
they  find  most  forward  in  serving  us,  their  King  and 
country,  that  care  may  be  taken  to  reward  their 
deservings  and  make  them  specially  known  to  all 
our  good  subjects.  For  which  end  we  have  thought  fit 
to  require  Sir  William  Parkhurst,  Kt.,  and  Thomas 
Bushell,  Esq.,  Wardens  of  the  Mint,  to  provide 
from  time  to  time  certain  Badges  of  Silver,  contain- 
ing our  Royal  image,  and  that  of  our  dearest  son, 
Prince  Charles,  to  be  delivered  to  wear  on  the  breast 
of  every  man  who  shall  be  certified  under  the  hands 
of  their  Commander-in-Chief  to  have  done  us  faithful 
service  in  the  Forlorn-hope. 

"  And  we  do,  therefore,  most  straightly  command 
that  no  soldier  at  any  time  do  sell,  nor  any  of  our 
subjects  presume  to  buy,  or  wear,  any  of  these  said 
Badges,  other  than  they  to  whom  we  shall  give  the 
same,  and  that  under  such  pain  and  punishment  as 
the  Council  of  War  shall  think  fit  to  inflict  if  any 
shall  presume  to  offend  against  this  our  Royal  com- 
mand. And  we  further  require  the  said  Commanders 
and  Wardens  of  our  Mint  to  keep  several  registers  of 
the  names  of  those,  and  of  their  country,  for  whom 
they  shall  give  their  certificate.  Given  at  our  Court, 
at  Oxford,  the  i8th  day  of  May,  1643." 

It  is  unfortunate  that  what  records  were  pre- 
sumably kept,  under  these  orders,  were  destroyed  by 


114       CHATS   ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

a  disastrous  fire  which  took  place  at  Oxford  in  1644. 
Thus  we  neither  know  how  many  specimens  of  the 
Forlorn  Hope  medal  were  distributed,  nor  do  we  even 
know  for  certain  the  exact  design  it  bore.  A  number 
of  identical  copies  exist  of  a  medallion  bearing  the 
profile  of  King  Charles  on  the  obverse,  and  that  of 
Prince  Charles  on  the  reverse,  and  this  is  usually 
considered  to  be  the  award  in  question. 

The  Dunbar  medal,  the  next  to  call  for  attention, 
is  of  special  interest,  as  it  was  the  first  British  award 
to  be  given  to  every  member  of  the  fighting  forces, 
whether  man  or  officer.  This  attractive  decoration 
was  struck  in  1650  in  two  sizes,  a  small  gold  piece 
for  officers  and  a  large  copper  one  for  distribution 
among  the  ranks.  Both  bore  the  same  design, 
namely,  Cromwell's  profile  and  the  inscription 
"  Word  .  at .  Dunbar.  The  Lord  of  Hosts  .  Septem.  Y . 
3  .  1650 .,"  on  the  obverse,  and  a  view,  in  exaggerated 
perspective,  of  Parliament  in  full  assembly  on  the 
reverse. 

A  curious  letter,  referring  to  the  design  of  this 
medal,  and  written  by  the  Protector,  is  still  extant. 
It  explains  that  Cromwell  while  in  Scotland  received 
a  visit  from  the  artist  chosen  by  Parliament  to  execute 
the  design.  The  artist  went  to  beg  a  few  sittings  of 
the  great  leader  with  a  view  to  producing  a  faithful 
portrait-likeness.  But  Cromwell  was  extremely  loath 
to  allow  his  features  to  be  displayed  upon  the  medal, 
and  advanced  all  manner  of  excuses,  probably  owing 
to  feelings  of  over-sensitiveness.  In  the  end  he  was 
prevailed  upon,  and  the  medal  bore  his  profile  as 
stated  above.     This  incident  is  of  special  interest,  as 


EARLY  BRITISH  WAR  MEDALS     115 

historians  have  seldom,  if  ever,  mentioned  in  discuss- 
ing the  character  of  this  able  soldier  that  one  of  his 
qualities  was  modesty. 


After  Dunbar  came  a  lengthy  period  during  which 
many  medals  were  struck  ;  they  were  all,  however, 
of  an  individual  character,  being  awarded  to  leaders 
for  personal  services. 

Culloden,  which  was  fought  on  April  i6,  1746, 
was  the  next  event  to  call  for  a  special  issue  of 
medals.  To  commemorate  the  Young  Pretender's 
rout,  oval  medals  in  gold  and  silver  were  struck.  It 
is  presumed  that  the  gold  pieces  were  awarded  to 
leaders  of  the  highest  rank,  whilst  the  silver  ones 
went  to  those  of  lesser  importance.  It  is  certain, 
however,  that  no  awards  were  made  to  the  common 
soldiers. 

The  design  was  remarkably  bold  and  imposing ; 
the  obverse  bore  a  simple  profile  of  the  Duke  of 
Cumberland  with  short  curly  hair  and  the  word 
"Cumberland,"  whilst  the  reverse  showed  an  un- 
clothed full-length  figure  of  Apollo,  looking  to  the 
left.  The  inscription  "  Actum  est  ilicet  perut "  and, 
also  in  Latin,  "Battle  of  Culloden,  April  i6th,  1746," 
appeared  on  the  reverse. 

This  medal  was  one  of  the  first  to  be  issued  with 
a  definitely  prescribed  pattern  for  the  ribbon.  The 
warrant  effecting  its  issue  stated  that  "it  was  to  be 
worn  round  the  necks  of  officers  by  means  of  a 
crimson  ribbon  having  a  narrow  green  border."  The 
medal  is  exceedingly  rare,  but  of  the  few  copies 
known  to  exist  one,  fortunately,  may  be  seen  among 


116       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

the  treasures  of  the  British  Museum,  and  another  in 
the  Royal  United  Service  Museum. 

The  history  of  British  and  Indian  medals  is  so 
interwoven  that  it  is  impossible  to  study  the  first 
without  knowing  something  of  the  latter.  It  may 
even  be  claimed  that  much  which  affected  the 
fashioning  and  awarding  of  late  eighteenth-century 
decorations  given  by  the  authorities  at  Bombay  has 
since  been  copied  by  our  authorities  at  home.  The 
most  obvious  point  bearing  on  this  contention  deals 
with  the  shape  of  the  medals.  Before  the  Indian 
examples,  all  of  which  were  circular,  were  struck,  the 
British  patterns  invariably  appeared  oval  in  form, 
whilst  most  of  the  subsequent  issues  have  been 
circular.  Again,  the  allegorical  designs  of  patriotic 
themes,  which  our  most  recent  medals  bear,  had  their 
early  origin  in  the  sepoy  tableaux  which  decorated 
the  reverse  of  the  Indian  medals.  The  reverse  side 
of  British  medals  before  the  Indian  specimens  were 
issued  usually  depicted  the  features  of  a  royal 
personage,  a  coat  of  arms,  or,  perhaps,  a  sailing 
vessel.  But  the  greatest  influencing  factor  of  the 
Indian  medals  was  the  method  of  granting  them. 
Every  soldier  from  the  highest  general  down  to 
the  lowest  fighter  received  an  award.  In  England 
quite  a  different  custom  prevailed.  With  the  single 
exception  of  the  Dunbar  medal,  no  English  soldier 
was  ever  awarded  a  royal  medal  until  Waterloo, 
unless  his  conduct  had  been  unusually  brave  and  he 
had  merited  some  special  recognition.  The  contro- 
versy which  raged  round  Wellington's  campaigns  as  to 


J      •       »  *  J. 
•  •  •  •  •  • 


? 


117 


EARLY  BRITISH  WAR  MEDALS     119 

whether  the  ordinary  men  as  a  class  should  or  should 
not  receive  decorations  was  finally  settled  by  remem- 
bering the  sepoys  of  India.  If  it  were  good  for 
these  soldiers  to  receive  them,  then  our  British 
fighting  men  must  have  them  as  well.  Such  was  the 
popular  opinion  which  prevailed. 

The  pioneer  medal  from  India  is  usually  spoken  of 
as  the  1778  decoration  awarded  for  services  at  Poona, 
but,  as  no  specimens  are  known  to  exist,  there  is 
reasonable  doubt  as  to  whether  the  decoration  was 
ever  struck.  The  records,  however,  state  plainly  that 
the  Bombay  Council  decided  to  give  medals  to  all  the 
officers  among  the  grenadier-sepoys  who  went  with 
Colonel  Egerton  to  quell  a  native  rising  in  Poona. 

In  1780,  a  campaign  in  Deccan  took  place  against 
Tippoo  Sahib  and  his  father.  A  medal  was  after- 
wards minted  by  the  Honourable  East  India  Company 
and  presented  to  all  officers  and  men  forming  the 
Bengal  Army.  There  were  gold  and  silver  specimens, 
vast  numbers  of  both  being  struck.  The  obverse 
showed  Britannia,  leaning  forward,  offering  a  wreath 
to  a  fort  flying  a  British  flag.  The  reverse  bore  a 
Persian  inscription. 

A  second  encounter  with  Tippoo  Sahib,  known  as 
the  Mysore  Campaign,  took  place  in  1791-2.  The 
medals  which  were  subsequently  struck  for  the 
officers  and  men  who  served  under  Colonel  Cockerel! 
were  made  in  gold  and  silver  and  were  intended  to 
be  worn  around  the  neck,  suspended  by  a  yellow  silk 
cord.  The  obverse  depicted  a  sepoy  grasping  a 
half-unfurled    British    flag,   trampling   at    the    same 


r 


120       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

time  on  the  enemy's  colours;  the  reverse  bore  the 
inscription,  "  For  Services  in  Mysore,  A.D.  1791- 
1792." 

If  medals  were  ever  dearly  won,  those  of  the 
Mysore  Campaign  seem  to  have  been,  for  many 
stories  have  been  told  of  the  great  daring  shown  by 
Cockerell's  men.  Thomas  Carter  in  his  work  on 
"  War  Medals "  writes  as  follows :  "  One  of  the 
most  dashing  exploits  in  the  War  of  Mysore  was 
the  capture  of  Bangalore,  the  second  city  in  the 
dominions  of  Tippoo.  It  was  enclosed  by  a  high 
wall  and  a  deep  ditch,  and  the  gate  was  covered  by 
a  close  thicket  of  Indian  thorns.  The  attack  was 
made  without  any  examination  of  the  ground,  and 
the  troops  in  advancing  and  endeavouring  to  force 
an  entrance  were  exposed  to  a  destructive  fire  of 
musketry.  Colonel  Moorhouse,  one  of  the  best 
officers  in  the  service,  fell  mortally  wounded.  At 
length.  Lieutenant  Ayre,  a  man  of  diminutive  stature, 
succeeded  in  forcing  his  way  through  the  shattered 
gate ;  which  gallant  action  being  observed  by 
General  Meadows,  he  shouted  to  the  stormer, '  Well 
done !  Now,  whiskers,  try,  if  you  can,  to  follow  and 
support  the  little  gentleman.'  This  animated  appeal 
succeeded :  the  troops  rushed  through  the  gate  into 
the  town  and  drove  out  the  enemy  at  the  point  of 
the  bayonet." 

It  is  now  necessary  to  speak  of  two  medals  of  a 
slightly  different  nature  to  any  of  the  foregoing.  In 
mentioning  the  first,  we  must  recall  the  work  under- 
taken by  the  12th  Lancers  in  1793,  when  one  section 
of  the  regiment  went  to  Corsica  and,  landing,  cap- 


r 


I 


EARLY  BRITISH  WAR  MEDALS     121 

tured  the  Bastia,  whilst  another  section  went  forward 
to  the  Italian  coast  and  entered  the  harbour  of 
Civitavecchia.  For  the  protection  thus  afforded  him, 
Pope  Pius  VI  gave  a  dozen  of  the  officers  gold 
medals  suitably  inscribed.  These  decorations,  it 
must  be  added,  were  not  officially  recognized  in 
England,  and  the  recipients  received  no  permission 
to  wear  them  when  in  uniform. 

In  the  year  1794,  another  case  of  British  soldiers 
receiving  a  foreign  decoration  occurred.  In  this 
instance,  Emperor  Francis  II  of  Germany  was  the 
donor  of  a  gold  medal  and  a  chain  pendant  to  each 
of  eight  officers  of  the  15th  Light  Dragoons.  The 
Emperor  had  fallen  into  a  precarious  position  at 
Villiers-en-Crouche,  a  small  settlement  near  Cambray, 
and,  had  it  not  been  for  the  heroic  and  persistent 
efforts  of  the  English,  he  would  certainly  have  been 
captured  by  the  French,  who  were  massed  in  great 
numbers.  The  awards  were  made  as  a  thank-offering 
for  his  lucky  escape. 

Unlike  the  Pope's  decorations,  those  of  Francis  II 
were  recognized  by  the  English  Army  authorities, 
and  the  recipients  were  allowed  to  wear  them  when 
parading  in  full  dress.  The  following  letter  may  be 
quoted  in  reference  to  the  matter  ^ : — 

"To  Lord  Dorchester,  Colonel  of  the 
15TH  Dragoons. 
May  I,  1798. 
My   Lord, — The   Emperor    of  Germany    having 
been  pleased  to  present  each  of  the  officers  of  the 

'  D.  H.  Irwin,  "  War  Medals,"  p.  17. 


L. 


122       CHATS  ON  MILITARY   CURIOS 

15th  Regiment,  under  your  Lordship's  command, 
who  distinguished  themselves  in  so  gallant  a  manner 
by  their  spirited  attack  upon  the  enemy,  with  a 
very  inferior  force,  on  the  24th  April,  1794,  near 
Cambray,  a  gold  medal  has  been  struck  by  his 
Imperial  Majesty's  orders,  on  the  occasion,  as  a 
particular  mark  of  the  sense  he  entertained  of  the 
signal  service  thereby  rendered  to  the  Allied  Army. 
I  have  therefore  the  honour,  by  order  of  his  Royal 
Highness  the  Commander-in-Chief  to  signify  to 
your  Lordship  his  Majesty's  pleasure  that  the  above- 
mentioned  officers  shall  be  permitted  to  wear  the 
said  medals  constantly  with  their  uniforms,  as  an 
honorary  badge  of  their  bravery  in  the  field  of  action, 
and  an  inducement  to  all  others  to  imitate,  on  every 
favourable  occasion,  their  glorious  example. 

I  have,  etc., 
Wm.  Fawcett,  Adjutant- General'' 

From  this  time  until  the  Peninsular  campaign 
almost  all  the  medals  which  we  have  to  record — many 
of  them  of  a  highly  interesting  nature — were  awarded 
to  native  troops  by  the  Honourable  East  India 
Company. 

The  first,  dated  1807,  reminds  us  of  the  gradual 
expansion  of  the  British  Empire.  It  was  struck  to 
commemorate  the  capture  of  Ceylon  from  the  Dutch, 

1795-6.     The  medal  was  made  in  gold  and  silver 

Calcutta  and  was  given,  probably  exclusively,  to 
the  Bengal  Native  Artillery — one  of  those  sections 
of  the  native  Indian  Army  of  which  the  East  India 
Company  was  justly  proud.     The  medal   was   un 


THE   GENERAL   SERVICE    MEDAL, 
1793-1814- 


ia&^ 


THE   AFOHAX    MKDA! 


SOUTH    AFRICAN    MEDAL,    1877-9. 


123 


EARLY  BRITISH  WAR  MEDALS     125 


usually  plain,  there  being  no  pictorial  design,  but 
merely  the  inscription,  "For  Service  at  the  Island 
of  Ceylon,  A.D.  1795-6,"  on  the  obverse,  and  a  Persian 
inscription  on  the  reverse.  It  may  be  said  that 
questions  were  asked  by  those  in  authority  as  to  how 
so  severe  a  pattern  came  to  be  chosen,  and  the 
reply  was  given  that  as  no  exceptional  feats  occurred 
during  the  campaign,  a  simple  design  was  deemed 
most  suitable.     The  reason  seems  unconvincing. 

The  siege  and  capture  of  Seringapatam,  which 
culminated  in  the  death  of  that  arch-enemy,  Tippoo 
Sahib,  was  the  occasion  for  issuing  a  Madras  medal, 
according  to  a  general  order  dated  July  18,  1808. 
Gold  pieces  were  given  to  senior  officers,  silver  gilt 
pieces  to  field  officers,  silver  pieces  to  junior  officers, 
bronze  pieces  to  the  rank  and  file  of  the  British 
force,  and  tin  pieces  to  sepoys.  The  design  was 
attractive :  on  the  obverse  appeared  a  landscape 
view  of  our  gallant  men  storming  Seringapatam, 
whilst  a  lion  overwhelming  a  tiger  filled  the  reverse. 
The  medal  was  not  made  in  Calcutta,  as  was 
usually  the  case  with  the  Indian  decorations,  but  at 
Birmingham. 

Collectors  have  often  been  at  a  loss  to  know  how 
the  Indian  awards  were  intended  to  be  worn.  In 
reference  to  the  Seringapatam  distinction,  Mayo,  in 
"  Medals  and  Decorations  of  the  British  Army  and 
Navy,"  says :  "  There  is  no  doubt  that  they  were 
issued  unmounted,  and  as  no  directions  had  been 
given  by  the  authorities  the  details  as  to  ribbon  and 
mountings  devolved  on  the  recipients,  who  exercised 
their  own  discretion  and  taste.     It  is,  however,  prob- 

7 


126       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

able  that  the  European  officers  wore  them  as  the 
gold  medals  for  the  Peninsular  and  other  campaigns 
were  worn — i.e.  round  the  neck,  or  at  the  button- 
hole, according  to  rank.  Some  added  a  clasp  bear- 
ing the  word  Seringapatam. 

"  Three  patterns  of  ribbon,  at  least,  appear  to  have 
been  used,  viz.  red  with  blue  borders,  yellow  watered, 
and  plain  red.  That  the  first  was  used  under  some 
sort  of  authority  is  gathered  from  a  discussion  which 
took  place  between  the  Madras  Government  and  the 
Commander-in-Chief  in  1831,  on  the  occasion  of  the 
distribution  of  the  medals  awarded  to  the  native 
troops  in  the  first  Burmese  war.  The  Commander- 
in-Chief  had  proposed  that  a  piece  of  red  ribbon 
with  blue  borders  should  be  issued  with  each  medal. 
The  Government  assented  to  the  issue  of  the  ribbon 
but  objected  to  the  pattern  on  the  ground  of  its 
resemblance  to  the  Waterloo  ribbon.  To  this  the 
Commander-in-Chief  replied  that  the  ribbon  he  had 
proposed  was  common  to  all  medals  granted  by  His 
Majesty  in  modern  times,  and  was  considered  to  be 
the  medal  ribbon  of  England.  He  added:  'The 
medals  of  Seringapatam  and  Java  are  both  suspended 
from  it,  and  both  are  so  worn  with  the  sanction  of 
His  Majesty.'  This  is  authoritative  evidence  of  the 
medal  being  worn  with  the  only  military  ribbon  then 
in  use. 

"Lord  Harris,  who  commanded  at  Seringapatam, 
wore  his  medal,  gold,  suspended  round  his  neck  by 
the  red,  blue-bordered  ribbon,  as  the  gold  medal  was 
worn  by  general  officers.  A  bust  of  his  lordship  was 
exhibited  at  the  Royal  Military  Exhibition,  at  Chelsea 


EARLY   BRITISH  WAR  MEDALS     127 


in  1890.  This  showed  the  medal  worn  round  the 
neck,  with  a  clasp  inscribed  '  Seringapatam.' " 

A  second  Seringapatam  medal,  almost  similar  in 
design  to  the  first,  was  struck  in  1808  and  presented 
to  British  as  well  as  native  troops  by  order  of  the 
East  India  Company.  This  decoration  was  made 
at  Calcutta. 

The  next  medal  takes  us  to  Egypt  and  recalls 
to  mind  a  number  of  desperate  encounters  between 
the  English  and  French.  In  the  year  1800  an 
army  of  15,000  British  soldiers,  under  Sir  Ralph 
Abercrombie,  had  been  assembled  in  the  peninsula. 
The  French  were  already  massed  there  in  great 
numbers,  being  more  than  double  our  strength.  On 
March  21,  180 1,  a  bloody  contest  took  place  at 
Alexandria,  and  Abercrombie  fell  mortally  wounded. 
Reinforcements  were  necessary,  and  these  were 
supplied  by  the  East  India  Company,  which 
dispatched  an  expeditionary  force  of  native  troops 
with  commendable  promptitude.  On  returning  to 
India  in  1803,  the  Government  of  Bombay  promised 
the  men  a  campaign  medal — that  is  to  say,  a  medal 
would  be  granted  to  each  individual  who  set  out 
to  fight  for  the  British  cause.  Nine  years  elapsed 
before  the  medal  was  struck,  but  it  is  gratifying  to 
know  that  specimens  were  given  to  the  descendants 
of  all  soldiers  whose  demise  had  taken  place  in  the 
meantime.  Sixteen  gold  and  2,199  silver  copies 
were  struck  at  a  cost  of  R.  5519.8. 

The  obverse  of  this  award  showed  a  sepoy 
holding  a  Union  Jack,  whilst  in  the  background 
the   tents   of  the    Indian   camp   were   revealed.     A 


128       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

Persian  inscription  filled  the  exergue  (i.e.  the  section 
of  the  circular  face  of  the  medal  cut  off  from  the 
rest  by  a  straight  line).  The  reverse  revealed  a 
wooden  British  ship  nearing  the  coast,  presumably 
of  Egypt.     The  date,  MDCCCI,  was  added. 

The  Turkish  Sultan,  also,  gave  a  medal  to  the 
British  soldiers  who  took  part  in  this  campaign.  It 
is  usually  spoken  of  as  "  The  Order  of  the 
Crescent." 

These  early  years  of  the  nineteenth  century 
brought  the  English  into  many  unfortunate  conflicts 
with  our  present  allies,  the  French.  No  sooner  was 
strife  at  an  end  in  Egypt  than  we  once  more  met 
our  gallant  rivals,  this  time  in  the  Islands  of  Rodrigues, 
Bourbon,  and  Mauritius.  It  was  in  the  years  1809-10, 
under  the  command  of  General  J.  Abercromby,  who 
led  the  6th  and  24th  Madras  Infantry,  also  the  4th 
Bombay  Infantry,  and  Vice-Admiral  Bertie,  who 
brought  a  squadron  of  ships,  that  a  strong  force  met 
and  defeated  the  French.  The  medal  which  was 
afterwards  awarded  to  all  natives  who  took  part  in 
the  engagement  was  inscribed,  "  This  medal  was  con- 
ferred in  commemoration  of  the  bravery  and  fidelity 
exhibited  by  the  Sepoys  of  the  English  Company 
in  the  capture  of  the  Islands  of  Rodrigues,  Bourbon, 
and  Mauritius  in  the  year  of  Hegira,  1226."  The 
date  as  reckoned  by  the  English  calendar  was  also 
given.  The  obverse  revealed  a  sepoy  standing  with 
our  national  flag  in  one  hand  and  a  rifle  in  the 
other.  A  cannon  was  shown  just  behind  him,  whilst 
the  background  depicted  an  expanse  of  sea.  Gold 
and  silver  pieces  were  struck  by  the  Calcutta  Mint. 


EARLY  BRITISH  WAR  MEDALS     129 


The  following  Order  in  Council  of  the  year  1811 
is  of  interest : — 

"  On  the  occasion  of  the  approaching  return  from 
the  late  French  islands  of  the  volunteers  from  Bengal, 
Fort  St.  George,  and  Bombay,  to  the  Presidencies 
to  which  they  respectively  belong,  His  Excellency 
the  Vice-President  in  Council  considers  it  to  be 
no  less  an  act  of  justice  than  of  indispensable 
duty  to  record  the  high  sense  he  entertains  of  the 
services  performed  by  the  native  soldiery,  who  were 
employed  in  concert  with  His  Majesty's  troops  in  the 
reduction  of  the  Islands  of  Rodriguez,  Bourbon,  and 
Mauritius.  He  is  pleased  to  signify  his  approbation 
of  the  distinguished  merits  of  the  volunteers  by 
conferring  honorary  medals  on  all  the  native  com- 
missioned and  non-commissioned  officers,  troopers, 
sepoys,  gaulundauze,  and  gun  lascars  employed  on 
that  service." 

Closely  following  on  the  declaration  of  peace  in  the 
three  above-mentioned  islands  of  the  Indian  Ocean 
came  trouble  with  the  Dutch  in  Java.  As  was  usual,  a 
joint  army  of  home  and  native  troops  was  dispatched 
to  the  scene  of  conflict.  A  victory  was  gained  in 
181 1,  and  on  February  11,  18 12,  seven  thousand 
medals  were  struck  by  the  East  India  Company 
at  Calcutta,  for  distribution  among  the  Indian  troops. 
The  British  regiments,  the  14th,  59th,  69th,  78th,  and 
89th  Foot,  took  part  in  the  expedition  but,  following 
the  usual  custom,  received  no  awards.  The  parti- 
culars of  this  Indian  medal  were  as  follows  :  Obverse 
— sepoys  storming  Fort  Cornelis,  upon  which  was 
prominently  displayed  a  flagstaff  bearing  a  British 


130       CHATS   ON  MILITARY   CURIOS 

flag  above,  presumably,  a  Dutch  flag  with  the  word 
CORNELIS  printed  above  the  scene.  Reverse — 
a  Persian  inscription  and  August  MDCCCX  .  Java 
Conquered  .  XXVI. 

The  Nepaul  medal  was  the  next  to  be  struck  by 
the  Honourable  East  India  Company.  It  bears  the 
date  of  1816.  In  granting  this  award,  a  departure 
was  made  from  the  usual  custom  of  giving  a  decora- 
tion to  every  soldier,  or  his  heirs,  who  actually  set 
out  from  home  with  an  expeditionary  force.  In  this 
case,  the  medal  was  granted,  first,  to  officers  who 
reached  the  fighting  area  and,  second,  to  the  men 
who  conducted  themselves  with  conspicuous  bravery. 
Mayo  says  that  the  feeling  was  probably  gaining 
ground  that  too  many  medals  were  being  struck  and 
their  value  was  becoming  lessened  in  consequence. 
This  he  suggests  was  the  reason  for  restricting  the 
number  on  this  occasion. 

The  obverse  of  the  Nepaul  medal  showed  a  stirring 
picture  of  hills,  strongly  fortified,  with  cannon  in 
the  foreground  and  an  array  of  bayonets  just  com- 
ing into  view.  The  reverse  consisted  of  a  Persian 
inscription. 

After  Nepaul,  a  long  period  followed  during 
which  no  campaign  medals  were  awarded  to  Indian 
troops.  Certain  individual  awards  were  made  to 
officers,  but  as  in  each  case  less  than  twenty  pieces 
were  struck,  we  consider  it  unnecessary  to  record 
them  in  detail. 

At  this  point  we  must  retrace  our  steps  to  the 
year  1806  and  speak  of  the  Battle  of  Maida,  which 
may  be   described  as  an  outlying  encounter   in  the 


I 


EARLY  BRITISH  WAR  MEDALS     131 


Napoleonic  campaigns.  To  celebrate  Sir  John 
Stuart's  victory  over  the  forces  led  by  General 
Regnier,  a  medal  was  struck  and  presented  to 
thirteen  of  the  highest  officers.  The  award  in  itself 
was  unimportant,  but  as  it  was  practically  the  first 
royal  medal  to  be  given  to  British  soldiers  since  the 
time  of  Culloden,  it  must  be  looked  upon  as  an 
epoch-making  decoration.  We  must  admit  that 
Nelson's  men  at  Trafalgar  had  received  awards,  and 
certain  regiments  which  took  part  in  various 
Napoleonic  wars  were  provided  with  coveted  dis- 
tinctions, but  in  every  case  they  were  planned  and 
paid  for  by  private  individuals  and  so  cannot  rank 
in  any  way  as  royal  medals.  It  is  perhaps  interest- 
ing to  record,  in  parenthesis,  that  the  Trafalgar 
medals  were  given  to  the  recipients  by  an  engineer 
of  Birmingham  named  Matthew  Boulton. 

The  last  award  to  be  described  in  this  chapter 
is  the  Peninsular  medal.  Two  sizes,  both  in  gold, 
were  struck  and  presented  to  officers.  No  men 
received  them.  The  designs  of  both  were  :  Obverse 
— Britannia,  seated  on  a  globe,  holding  out  a  palm  ; 
a  couchant  lion  beside  her.  Reverse — a  laurel 
wreath  framing  the  name  of  one  of  the  following 
battles :  Roleia,  Vimeira,  Sahagun,  Benevente, 
Corunna,  Martinique,  Talavera,  Guadaloupe,  Busaco, 
Barrosa,  Fuentes  d'Onoro,  Albuera,  Java,  Ciudad 
Rodrigo,  Badajoz,  Salamanca,  Fort  Detroit,  Vittoria, 
Pyrenees,  St.  Sebastian  Chateauguay,  Nivelle,  Nive, 
Orthes,  and  Toulouse.  The  name  and  rank  of  the 
recipient  was  engraved  upon  the  edge. 

The  larger  medal  was  awarded  to  general  officers 


132       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

and  was  provided  with  an  attachment  for  wearing 
around  the  neck,  a  crimson  ribbon  with  blue  edging 
being  specified.  The  smaller  medal  was  given  to 
junior  officers  who  took  command  in  cases  where 
their  superior-commanders  had  been  disabled.  This 
award  was  provided  with  a  buckle  and  ribbon  as 
above  and  was  intended  for  wear  upon  the  breast. 

Both  the  large  and  small  medals  were  conferred 
for  service  in  one  engagement.  For  a  second  or 
third  engagement  bars  were  provided.  These,  it 
may  be  added,  in  parenthesis,  were  the  first  bars 
given  to  British  soldiers. 

When  an  officer  received  distinctions  in  more  than 
three  engagements  he  was  awarded  the  Peninsular 
Cross  instead  of  the  foregoing  circular  medals.  This 
distinction  was  struck  in  gold  and  had  much  the 
same  shape  and  design  as  was  afterwards  selected 
for  the  Victoria  Cross.  The  lion  on  the  former, 
however,  faces  to  the  right,  whilst  on  the  latter  it 
looks  to  the  left. 

In  this  chapter  we  have  traced  the  history  of 
British  medals  from  their  inception  in  the  reign  of 
Elizabeth  down  to  the  stormy  times  of  the  Duke 
of  Wellington.  The  period  was  marked  by  the 
paucity  of  awards  made  to  British  troops.  Popular 
opinion,  however,  was  gradually  forcing  its  influence 
during  the  latter  years  of  the  period  upon  the 
authorities  who  withheld  them,  and  the  following 
chapter  shows  how  agitations  coming  from  non- 
military  quarters  caused  a  complete  change  of  policy 
in  the  granting  of  these  coveted  distinctions. 


1 


VIII 

MILITARY  MEDALS 

STRUCK 

BY  THE  MINT 


CHAPTER   VIII 


MILITARY  MEDALS   STRUCK  BY  THE   MINT 


I. 

IN 


ampaign  medals  considered — Waterloo — Burmah — China — Cabul — 
Jellalabad — Scinde — Meeanee — Sobraon — The  men's  Peninsular 
medal — Punjab — Indian  General  Service  medals — South  Africa, 
1850-3;  also  1877-9 — Baltic — Crimea — Indian  Mutiny— Abyssinia 
— New  Zealand — Later  awards 


N  these  days  when  the  deeds  of  brave  men,  whether 
they  be  of  high  or  low  rank,  are  acclaimed  with 
equal  praise,  it  is  extremely  difficult  to  understand 
the  feelings  which  actuated  the  authorities  a  hundred 
or  more  years  ago  when  awarding  military  medals. 
Parliament,  though  it  was  supposed  to  represent  the 
masses,  decided  time  after  time  in  these  early  years 
of  the  nineteenth  century  that  decorations  were  only 
meant  for  soldiers  of  rank  and  that  the  common 
men  had  neither  claim  nor  title  to  them.  The 
usual  plea  was  that  the  ordinary  soldier  had  been 
paid  for  his  services,  and  there  the  nation's  obligation 
to  him  was  at  an  end.  Somehow  or  other,  the 
authorities  seem  to  have  shut  their  eyes  to  the  fact 
that  the  same  argument  could  be  applied  with  equal 
force  to  the  commanders  of  the  Army.  It  is  some- 
what lamentable  to  note  that  even  so  grand  a  soldier 
as   the   Duke   of    Wellington   argued   in    favour   of 

137 


138       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

withholding  rewards  from  the  rank  and  file,  and 
his  opinion,  we  may  be  sure,  had  great  influence  in 
certain  high  quarters. 

But  in  spite  of  the  decided  opinions  held  by  those 
in  authority,  there  was  a  strong  party  of  agitators 
who  opposed  these  narrow  views.  To  them  must  be 
accredited  much,  for  in  face  of  every  conceivable 
obstacle  they  left  no  stone  unturned  until  the 
coveted  awards  were  shared  by  men  as  well  as 
commanders.  In  the  early  days  which  followed 
Waterloo  this  little  band  displayed  particular  activity. 
"  Are  our  ordinary  soldiers,  fresh  home  from  the 
Belgian  battlefields,  to  go  unrewarded  as  the  Penin- 
sular heroes  have  done?  "  was  their  constant  cry.  The 
people  took  up  the  matter,  and  only  when  absolutely 
forced  to  did  Parliament  agree  to  strike  a  medal  for 
all  ranks  of  the  victorious  army.  The  official  decree 
ran  as  follows  : — 

"The  Prince  Regent  has  been  graciously  pleased 
in  the  name  and  on  behalf  of  His  Majesty  to 
command  that  in  commemoration  of  the  brilliant 
and  decisive  victory  of  Waterloo,  a  medal  shall  be 
conferred  upon  every  officer,  non-commissioned 
officer,  and  soldier  present  upon  that  memorable 
occasion. 

By  command  of  His  Royal  Highness  the  Prince 
Regent. 

Frederick,  Commander-in-Chief r 

Undoubtedly  the  innovation  of  rewarding  the 
rank  and   file  as  well  as  the  officers  created    much 


MEDALS  STRUCK  BY  THE  MINT    139 

satisfaction.  The  people  openly  displayed  their 
approval,  the  soldiers  were  pleased  beyond  measure, 
and  the  Press  spoke  of  the  change  as  a  step  in  the 
right  direction  ;  such,  at  any  rate,  is  the  impression 
one  gathers  from  reading  articles  bearing  on  the 
matter  in  contemporary  numbers  of  the  Quarterly 
Review. 

The  Waterloo  medal  bore  on  the  obverse  a  profile 
of  George  and  the  inscription  "George  P.  Regent." 
On  the  reverse  was  a  winged  figure  of  Victory 
seated  upon  a  rectangular  scroll  bearing  the  word 
**  Waterloo,"  and  the  date  "June  i8,  1815."  The 
reverse  design  was  obviously  copied  from  a  coin  of 
Elias  which  is  exhibited  in  the  British  Museum. 
The  ribbon  was  of  red  silk  flanked  with  blue  edges. 
This  material  was  passed  through  a  circular  ring 
and  not  through  a  horizontal  slot,  as  is  customary 
to-day. 

The  award  was  received  by  all  grades  of  men 
who  were  present  at  the  Battle  of  Ligny,  June  i6th; 
Quatre  Bras,  June  17th;  Waterloo,  June  i8th;  as 
well  as  by  certain  forces  which  were  posted  in  the 
rear  of  the  battlefield  on  June  18th.  Certain 
German  troops  were  also  decorated  with  this  award. 

The  collector  will  often  come  across  specimens  of 
this  medal,  which  are  provided  with  slots  instead  of 
rings  for  holding  the  ribbon  in  position.  Many 
of  the  original  recipients  preferred  this  latter  method 
of  attachment  and  made  the  alteration  themselves. 
Such  specimens,  therefore,  are  not  in  strict  accord- 
ance with  the  official  pattern  and  are  in  consequence 
of  less  value  than  the  unaltered  kind. 


140       CHATS   ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

Some  ten  years  elapsed  before  the  next  medal, 
styled  the  First  Burmah  Medal,  1824-6,  was 
struck.  This  being  an  Indian  award,  no  royal 
features  were  portrayed.  On  the  obverse  was  a 
palm-tree  and  an  army  storming  an  Eastern  city, 
probably  Rangoon  ;  there  was  also  a  Persian  in- 
scription in  the  exergue.  On  the  reverse,  a  lion 
was  encountering  a  white  elephant,  and  a  British 
flag  waved  prominently  in  the  background.  The 
decoration  was  struck  in  gold  for  officers,  and  silver 
for  men  of  other  standing.  For  the  first  time  with 
Indian  medals,  a  definite  ribbon,  red  and  blue,  was 
prescribed. 

The  earliest  award  to  bear  the  head  of  Queen 
Victoria  was  the  China  medal  of  1842.  The  features 
portrayed  on  this  specimen  were  similar  to  those 
shown  on  a  medallion  executed  by  William  Wyon 
in  1837,  and  struck  to  commemorate  Victoria's  first 
visit  to  the  City  of  London  as  queen.  Her  Majesty 
evinced  a  great  liking  for  this  rendering  of  her  features, 
and  consequently  it  was  used  for  the  coinage,  the 
postage  stamps,  and,  lastly,  the  medals.  The  reverse 
side  revealed  a  group  of  arms  of  various  kinds.  The 
ribbon  was  red,  edged  with  yellow.  It  was  given 
both  to  soldiers  and  sailors. 

This  award  may  be  confused  with  a  later  China 
medal  of  the  same  design.  The  earlier  pattern, 
however,  bears  the  year  1842  under  the  word 
China  in  the  exergue,  whilst  the  1857-60  pattern 
has  no  date  at  all.  Also,  no  bars  were  furnished 
with  the  earlier  specimen,  but  as  many  as  six  may 
be  found  on  the  latter. 


MEDALS  STRUCK  BY  THE  MINT    141 

Writing  of  the  thrilling  incidents  which  crowded 
the  first  campaign,  Carter  describes  one  of  them  in 
the  following  words :  "  The  west  gate  had  been 
blown  in  by  Captain  Pears,  the  commanding  engineer. 
A  body  of  Tartars,  having  been  driven  into  one 
division  of  the  western  outwork,  refused  to  surrender, 
when  most  of  them  were  either  shot  or  destroyed  in 
the  burning  houses,  several  of  which  had  been  set 
on  fire  by  the  enemy  or  by  the  British  guns.  Major- 
General  Bartley  subsequently  proceeded  with  a 
body  of  troops  consisting  of  the  i8th  and  part  of 
the  49th  Regiment,  when  a  hot  engagement  ensued 
with  about  one  thousand  Tartars,  who,  under  cover 
of  some  enclosures,  opened  a  destructive  fire  on  the 
soldiers  as  they  were  filing  round  the  walls.  The 
leading  division  of  the  49th  dashed  down  the 
ramparts,  while  the  i8th  pushed  on.  As  a  result, 
the  enemy  was  soon  dispersed,  although  some 
fought  with  great  desperation. 

"  From  the  sun  becoming  so  overpowering  it  was 
found  impossible  to  move  with  men  already  fatigued 
by  their  exertions,  many  of  whom  died  from  the 
intense  heat.  The  troops,  therefore,  remained  in 
occupation  of  the  gates  until  six  o'clock,  when 
several  parties  were  pushed  into  the  Tartar  city 
and  to  the  public  offices.  On  passing  through  the 
city  and  suburbs,  the  painful  spectacle  presented 
itself  of  hundreds  of  the  dead  bodies  of  men,  women, 
and  children  lying  in  the  houses,  numerous  families 
having  destroyed  themselves  sooner  than  outlive  the 
disgrace  of  their  city  being  captured  by  foreigners." 

The  second  Chinese  war  resulted  from  a  cumula- 


142       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

tion  of  depredatory  movements  on  the  part  of  the 
natives,  but  the  capture  of  the  Arrow ^  a  vessel 
flying  the  British  flag,  was  directly  responsible  for 
the  declaration  of  hostilities. 

The  next  medal  struck  at  the  Mint  was  awarded 
to  the  soldiers  who  took  arms  in  1842,  in  Cabul. 
The  obverse  bore  the  Wyon  head  of  Victoria,  whilst 
the  reverse  was  issued  in  four  patterns  as  follows : — 

1.  A  wreath  encircling  the  inscription  "  Candahar, 
1842." 

2.  A  wreath  encircling  the  word  "  Ghuznee,"  and 
another  encircling  the  word  "Cabul." 

3.  A  wreath  encircling  the  inscription  "  Candahar, 
Ghuznee,  Cabul,  1842." 

4.  A  wreath  encircling  the  inscription  "  Cabul,  1 842." 
The   ribbon   attached   to  all  the  varieties  was  of 

the  rainbow  pattern  which  has  since  become  familiar 
on  Indian  medals. 

A  native  medal  was  also  struck  at  the  Mint  for 
distribution  among  the  Indian  troops.  Instead  of 
Victoria's  bust  a  trophy  of  arms  surmounting  the 
inscription  "  Invicta,  MDCCCXLII,"  filled  the 
obverse  side. 

After  Cabul  came  the  Jellalabad  rising.  To 
celebrate  the  victories  of  this  campaign,  a  medal  was 
struck  at  Calcutta  and  distributed  to  all  soldiers 
who  took  part  in  the  various  actions.  The  design 
was  considered  unsatisfactory;  the  obverse  bore  a 
simple  mural  crown,  the  upper  edge  of  which 
resembled  the  embattled  coping  of  a  castle,  whilst 
the  reverse  showed  the  date  "VII  April  1842,"  in 
bold  but  plain  lettering. 


I 


MEDALS  STRUCK  BY  THE  MINT    141 

In  consequence  of  the  dissatisfaction  which  the 
medal  caused,  another  was  struck  by  the  Mint  in 
London  and  sent  out  to  the  troops  in  1845.  ^^ 
order  was  issued  at  the  same  time  stating  that  all 
recipients  of  the  Calcutta  award  could  have  their 
decoration  changed  for  the  London  award  on 
making  formal  application.  Curiously  enough,  the 
soldiers  who  had  grumbled  at  the  pattern  of  the 
earlier  medal  showed  little  desire  to  become  recipients 
of  the  newer  piece,  and  in  only  a  few  cases  was  the 
exchange  made.  The  London  striking  is  conse- 
quently somewhat  rare. 

The  Mint  medal  bore  the  Wyon  head  of  Victoria 
surrounded  with  the  words  "  Victoria  Vindex," 
whilst  the  rear  showed  a  graceful  figure  of  Victory, 
with  wings,  holding  a  flag  and  a  laurel  wreath.  The 
words  "Jellalabad,  VII  April  MDCCCXLII "  en- 
circled the  figure.  The  rainbow  ribbon  of  India 
suspended  the  medal. 

The  early  forties  were  troublous  times  in  India. 
Hardly  twelve  months  after  Jellalabad  had  been 
fought  and  won,  a  medal  was  earned  by  our  brave 
troops  in  the  province  of  Scinde.  Referring  to  this 
campaign,  Mayo  quotes  the  following  interesting 
letter  :— 

"Colonial  Office, 

Downing  Street. 

MY  LORD,  '«"'  f^'y-  ■««• 

I  have  the  honour  to  acquaint  your 
Lordships,  that  the  Queen,  being  desirous  of  com- 
memorating the  signal  success  obtained  by  the 
Force    under   the   command   of   Major-General    Sir 

8 


144       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

Charles  Napier,  in  Scinde,  has  been  graciously  pleased 
to  command  that  a  Medal,  to  resemble  as  nearly  as 
possible  that  proposed  for  the  Troops  employed  in 
Afghanistan,  should  be  conferred  upon  the  Officers, 
Non-commissioned  officers,  and  Soldiers  in  Her 
Majesty's  Service,  who  were  engaged  in  the  Battles 
of  Meeanee  and  Hyderabad. 

Without  anticipating  the  course  which  the  Court 
of  Directors  of  the  East  India  Co.  may  propose 
to  take  for  commemorating  the  success  of  the 
Company's  Troops  in  Scinde,  I  think  it  nevertheless 
right  to  add  that  Her  Majesty  would  readily  permit 
the  Officers,  Non-commissioned  officers,  and  Soldiers 
of  the  Company's  Army  to  whom  the  Court  of 
Directors  might  think  proper  to  grant  Medals  in 
commemoration  of  the  Battles  of  Meeanee  and 
Hyderabad  to  wear  such  Medab  in  all  parts  of 
Her  Majesty's  Dominions. 

I  have  etc., 
Stanley, 
The  Presidency  of  the  Indian  Board.'' 

The  Mint  medal  issued  in  March  1846  bore  the 
Wyon  head  of  Victoria,  with  the  words  "  Victoria 
Regina"  on  the  obverse,  but  of  the  reverse  there 
were  three  patterns.  The  first  showed  a  laurel 
wreath  and  crown  encircling  the  word  "  Meeanee  "  ; 
the  second  had  the  word  "  Hyderabad  "  substituted  ; 
whilst  the  third  gave  both  battles,  namely  "  Meeanee 
and  Hyderabad."  The  rainbow  ribbon  was  again 
employed. 

Before  turning  to  the  next  medal,  it  is  pleasant 


«      *    * 


■  •  • 

•    •  •< 


«^^^^^ 


THE  CHINA   MEDAL,    1842-60.  THE    EGYPTIAN'    MEDAL,    1882-9. 


145 


MEDALS  STRUCK  BY  THE  MINT    147 

to  recall  the  Duke  of  Wellington's  brief  eulogy  of 
Sir  Charles  Napier's  campaign,  which  he  addressed 
to  the  House  of  Lords. 

"  Sir  Charles  Napier  moved  his  troops  through  the 
desert  against  hostile  forces,  he  transported  his  guns 
under  circumstances  of  extreme  difficulty  and  in 
a  most  extraordinary  manner,  and  he  cut  off  a 
retreat  of  the  enemy  which  rendered  it  impossible 
for  them  ever  to  regain  their  positions."  Meeanee 
was  fought  on  February  17th,  and  Hyderabad  on 
March  24,  1843. 

Two  years  after  Scinde,  the  Sutlej  Campaign  was 
waged  between  British  troops  and  Sikhs.  The 
Mint  medal  struck  to  commemorate  our  victories 
was  the  second  award  to  carry  clasps  or  bars — the 
officers'  Peninsular  medal  being  the  first.  The 
obverse  again  showed  Wyon's  head  of  Victoria : 
the  reverse  displayed  a  stirring  picture  of  Victory 
holding  out  a  wreath,  with  a  stack  of  arms  at  her 
feet.  The  words  "  Army  of  the  Sutlej "  encircled 
the  allegory.  Of  the  exergue  on  the  reverse,  there 
were  four  different  types ;  the  first  read  "  Moodkee, 
1845  "  y  ^^^  second,  "  Ferozeshuhur,  1845  "  J  the  third, 
"Aliwal,  1846";    and   the  fourth,  ''Sobraon,  1846." 

The  General  Order  which  regulated  the  granting 
of  this  decoration  stated  that  soldiers  who  took  part 
in  more  than  one  engagement  were  to  receive  the 
medal  engraved  with  the  name  of  their  earliest 
encounter,  whilst  bars  were  to  be  added  for  subse- 
quent victories.  From  this  it  is  clear  that  the 
Sobraon  medal  cannot  be  found  with  any  bars, 
ars,  the  decree  stated,   were   to   be   worn   in   the 


148       CHATS   ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

following  order,  counting  upwards  from  the  medal : 
Ferozeshuhur,  Aliwal,  and  Sobraon.  Naturally,  no 
bars  for  Moodkee  were  issued. 

Curious  as  it  may  seem,  the  next  decoration  to  be 
struck  by  the  Mint  was  the  rankers'  Peninsular  medal. 
It  will  be  remembered  that  on  the  conclusion  of 
Wellington's  campaign  in  Spain  two  gold  pieces 
were  issued  for  officers,  but  that  no  awards  were 
presented  to  the  ordinary  soldiers.  This  arrangement 
pleased  neither  the  men  nor  the  officers,  who  knew 
how  much  the  country  was  indebted  to  the  rank  and 
file.  As  a  consequence,  the  question  of  the  men's 
medal  was  constantly  discussed  in  Parliament.  In 
1844,  the  matter  was  thoroughly  debated  upon  in  the 
Lower  House,  but  the  opposers  urged  with  a  certain 
amount  of  success  that  Wellington  had  decided  years 
ago  that  no  award  should  be  granted.  Sir  Charles 
Napier's  answer  to  this  lame  argument  was  to 
the  point.  "  It  is  never  too  late  to  do  a  good  thing," 
he  retorted  amidst  the  applause  of  his  followers. 
Two  years  later,  in  1846,  the  matter  was  again  before 
the  House,  and,  probably  because  Queen  Victoria 
was  somewhat  partial  to  the  granting  of  distinctions 
when  merited,  a  favourable  decision  was  arrived  at. 
The  men  were  to  have  the  medal  so  long  withheld 
from  them,  as  the  following  General  Order  of  June  i, 
1847,  explains: — 

'*  Her  Majesty  having  been  graciously  pleased  to 
command  that  a  medal  should  be  struck  to  record 
the  services  of  her  fleets  and  armies  during  the  wars 
commencing  1793,  and  ending  in  18 14,  and  that  one 
should   be   conferred   upon   every   officer,   non-com- 


MEDALS   STRUCK   BY   THE   MINT     149 

missioned  officer  and  soldier  of  the  army  who  was  in 
any  battle  or  siege,  to  commemorate  which  medals 
have  been  struck  by  command  of  Her  Majesty's 
Royal  predecessors  and  have  been  distributed  to 
the  general  or  superior  officers  of  the  general  armies 
and  corps  of  troops  engaged,  in  conformity  with  the 
regulations  of  the  army  at  that  time  in  force.  .  .  ." 

The  Order  was  somewhat  lengthy  and  involved, 
but  its  chief  clauses  were :  {a)  men  should  receive 
medals  and  clasps  for  all  engagements  figuring  on 
the  superior  officers'  medals  and  clasps  of  1808-9, 
and  {b)  relatives  of  men  since  deceased  could  claim 
the  award  on  production  of  sufficient  title. 

The  medals  were  issued  to  19,000  claimants  in 
1848.  In  1850,  the  Duke  of  Richmond  suggested 
that  the  troops  in  Egypt,  who  had  fought  with  great 
bravery,  should  also  receive  the  distinction,  and  the 
Queen  graciously  consented  to  recognize  their 
services.  In  this  case,  however,  the  relatives  of  dead 
soldiers  could  not  claim  the  award. 

There  is  much  about  the  rankers'  Peninsular  medal 
which  is  unsatisfactory.  In  the  first  place,  the  reverse 
bears  the  figure  of  Victoria  crowning  the  Duke  of 
Wellington.  As  he  took  no  part  in  many  of  the 
contributory  campaigns,  and  as  his  veto  so  long 
delayed  the  granting  of  the  decoration,  some  other 
design  would  have  been  more  appropriate.  Again, 
the  date  placed  in  the  exergue,  1793-18 14,  is  much 
too  vague.  And  lastly,  the  head  of  Victoria  on  the 
obverse  has  often  caused  confusion,  as  she  did  not 
ascend  the  throne  until  some  three  years  after  the 
campaign  had  come  to  a  welcome  close. 


150       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

The  Punjab  award,  1848-9,  is  probably  one  of 
the  most  artistic  pieces  of  work  emanating  from  the 
London  Mint.  On  the  obverse  was  the  familiar 
Wyon  head  of  Victoria,  surrounded  by  the  words 
"Victoria  Regina,"  whilst  on  the  reverse  was  a 
stirring  tableau  representing  Sikhs  presenting  their 
arms  to  Major-General  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  Gilbert 
at  Rawul  Pindee.  The  ribbon  was  blue,  striped  with 
two  narrow  lines  of  yellow.  There  were  three  clasps : 
Chilianwala,  Mooltan,  and  Goojerat. 

The  most  desperate  encounter  in  this  campaign 
was  the  Battle  of  Chilianwala,  during  which  the 
brigade  under  Brigadier  Pennycuick  and  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Brookes  was  led  to  make  a  disastrous  charge 
owing  to  a  misunderstanding.  The  24th  Regiment 
suffered  terribly,  and  their  medals  are  now  extremely 
valuable  in  consequence. 

In  185 1,  Queen  Victoria,  in  furtherance  of  her 
policy  of  rewarding  unrecognized  actions  of  the  past, 
decided  to  issue  an  Indian  General  Service  medal 
to  cover  the  following  feats  of  arms  : — 

Storm  of  Allighur — September  4,  1803. 
Battle  of  Delhi — September  11,  1803. 
Battle  of  Assaye — September  23,  1803. 
Siege  of  Asseerghur — October  21,  1803. 
Battle  of  Laswarree — November  i,  1803. 
Battle  of  Argaum — November  29,  1803. 
Siege   and    storm   of    Gawilghur — December    15, 
1803. 
Defence  of  Delhi — October  1804. 
Battle  of  Deig — November  13,  1804. 


MEDALS   STRUCK   BY  THE   MINT    151 

Capture  of  Deig — December  23,  1804. 

War  of  Nepaul — 18 16. 

Battle  of  Kirkee  and  battle  and  capture  of  Poona 
— November  1S17. 

Battle  of  Seetabuldee  and  battle  and  capture  of 
Nagpoor — November  and  December  18 17. 

Battle  of  Maheidpoor — December  21,  18 17. 

Defence  of  Corygaum — January  i,  18 18. 

War  in  Ava — 1824-6. 

Siege  and  storm  of  Bhurtpoor — January  1826. 

The  following  are  the  particulars  of  the  medal  : — 

Obverse — Wyon's  head  of  Victoria,  with  the  inscrip- 
tion "  Victoria  Regina." 

Reverse — Victory,  seated.  A  palm-tree  in  front 
of  her. 

Ribbon — Sky  blue. 

6Viw/>j— Twenty- three  in  number. 


It  is  curious  to  note  that  the  reverse  bears  the  date 
1 799- 1 826,  though  the  above  list  of  engagements 
restricts  the  years  to  1803-26.  This  is  due  to  the 
fact  that  the  list  was  revised  after  the  dies  had  been 
put  in  hand,  and  certain  of  the  earlier  battles  were 
deleted  on  the  advice  of  the  Duke  of  Wellington. 

A  second  Indian  General  Service  medal  was  issued 
in  1854  and  subsequently  as  conditions  demanded. 
It  should  be  mentioned  that  the  authorities  had 
grown  to  view  the  constant  striking  of  fresh  medals 
for  Indian  service  with  a  certain  amount  of  disfavour, 
and  the  standard  design  was  introduced  in  order  to 


152       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

prevent  a  multiplicity  of  patterns.  The  measure 
may  have  proved  satisfactory  to  those  in  authority, 
but  it  certainly  had  grave  disadvantages  of  a  more  or 
less  obvious  character.  The  ribbon,  for  instance,  was 
similar  through  all  the  years  of  the  issue,  and  when 
worn  with  undress  or  civilian  clothes  conveyed  little 
meaning.     The  following  clasps  were  issued : — 

Pegu  ;  Persia  ;  North- West  Frontier  ;  Umbeyla  ; 
Bhootan ;  Looshai ;  Perak,  1875;  Jowaki,  1877; 
Naga,  1879;  Burma,  1885,  1887,  and  1889;  Sikkim, 
1888;  Hazara,  1888  and  1891;  Chin-Lushai,  1889; 
Samana,  1891  ;  North- West  Frontier,  1891  ;  Hunza, 
1891  ;  Lushgai,  1889;  Wazeristan,  1894. 

The  value  of  the  piece  varies  considerably,  accord- 
ing to  the  clasps  provided  with  it. 

The  description  of  the  second  Indian  General 
Service  award  is  : — 

Obverse — Wyon's  head  of  Victoria,  with  the  in- 
scription "Victoria  Regina." 

Reverse — Victory  crowning  a  naked  warrior. 

Ribbon — Three  strips  of  red  and  two  of  blue,  all  of 
equal  width. 

Another  general  medal,  first  issued  in  the  early 
fifties,  was  the  South  African  medal.  It  will  be  re- 
membered that  in  1850-3  certain  British  regiments 
were  engaged  in  putting  down  Kaffir  risings.  When 
a  decoration  was  struck  for  them,  Queen  Victoria 
decreed  that  the  soldiers  who  fought  in  the  earlier 


MEDALS   STRUCK   BY  THE  MINT    153 

Kaffir  risings  in  1834  and  1846-7  should  also  receive 
the  award.  The  design,  which  was  the  same  for  all, 
bore  the  Wyon  head  on  the  obverse,  and  a  crouching 
lion  with  the  words  "South  Africa"  and  the  date 
"1853"  on  the  reverse.  The  ribbon  was  orange, 
streaked  with  four  blue  lines. 

For  the  1834  campaign,  the  27th,  72nd,  and  75th 
Foot  regiments  were  decorated.  For  the  1846-7 
campaign,  the  recipients  were  the  7th  Dragoon 
Guards,  the  Rifle  Brigade,  the  6th,  27th,  45th,  79th, 
90th,  and  91st  Foot  regiments.  For  the  1850-3 
campaign,  the  following  were  honoured  :  the  2nd, 
6th,  1 2th,  43rd,  60th,  73rd,  74th,  91st  Foot,  the  Rifle 
Brigade,  the  12th  Lancers,  and  various  Marines.  By 
noting  the  recipient's  regiment,  engraved  on  the 
medal  edge,  it  is  possible,  in  most  cases,  to  decide  for 
which  particular  campaign  the  award  was  made. 

It  may  be  convenient  to  state  here  that  the  South 
African  decoration  was  re-issued  in  1877-9.  The 
design  was  similar  to  the  original,  except  that  the 
exergue  contained  a  picture  of  Kaffir  arms  instead  of 
the  date  "  1853."  With  this  issue  clasps  bearing 
the  following  years  were  given:  1877,  1878,  1879, 
1877-8,  1878-9,  and   1877-8-9. 

The  next  medal  was  that  presented  for  the  Baltic. 
It  was  given  largely  to  the  Navy,  but  the  Army 
received  its  share,  as  the  letter  here  quoted  from 
Mayo  plainly  shows  : — 


"Admiralty,  June  5,  1856. 
Her  Majesty  having    been   graciously    pleased  to 
signify  Her  commands  that  a  medal  shall  be  granted 


154       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

to  the  Officers  and  Crews  of  Her  Majesty's  ships  as 
well  as  to  such  Officers  and  Men  of  Her  Majesty's 
Army  as  were  employed  in  the  operations  in  the 
Baltic  in  the  years  1854-5,  the  Lords  Commissioners 
of  the  Admiralty  hereby  give  notice  of  the  same." 

The  obverse  of  the  award  was  again  embellished 
by  the  familiar  head  engraved  by  Wyon,  whilst  the 
reverse  depicted  Britannia  seated.  The  inscription 
"Baltic,  1854-1855,"  surrounded  her.  The  ribbon 
was  yellow,  flanked  with  narrow  edges  of  blue. 

After  the  Baltic  came  the  Crimea  award.  This  is 
certainly  one  of  the  finest  productions  which  the 
London  Mint  has  ever  given  us.  The  well-known 
picture  of  Victoria  filled  the  obverse,  whilst  a 
splendid  allegorical  group,  depicting  Victory  crown- 
ing a  Roman  soldier,  ornamented  the  reverse.  The 
clasps  were  more  decorative  than  usual,  taking  the 
form  of  elongated  oak-leaves  held  in  position  by 
minute  acorns.  They  were  five  in  number  and  bore  the 
designations  of  Alma,  Balaklava,  Inkerman,  Sebasto- 
pol,  and  Azoff  (the  latter  only  for  naval  victories). 
The  ribbon  was  light  blue,  edged  with  yellow. 

The  medal  commands  but  a  very  low  price — con- 
sidering how  important  was  the  victory  which  it 
commemorates — unless  it  bears  the  bar  for  Bala- 
klava. If  provided  with  this  honour,  and  engraved 
for  one  of  the  cavalry  regiments  which  took  part  in 
the  famous  charge,  its  value  is  considerable. 

The  last  award  to  be  paid  for  by  the  Honourable 
East  India  Company  was  the  Indian  Mutiny  medal  of  1 
1857-8.     This,  of  course,  is  one  of  the  finest  pieces 


MEDALS  STRUCK  BY  THE  MINT    155 


which  could  enter  the  medallist's  collection,  yet  it  is 
procurable  for  a  very  modest  sum,  unless  it  bears  the 
clasp  for  the  Defence  of  Lucknow,  when  it  is  some- 
what costly.  The  obverse  shows  Victoria's  profile,  as 
before,  whilst  the  reverse  displays  Britannia  seated  on 
a  lion,  with  the  word  "  India "  printed  around  the 
edge.  The  ribbon  is  silver  grey,  with  two  bars  of  red- 
The  clasps  are  five  in  number:  Delhi,  Defence  of 
Lucknow,  Relief  of  Lucknow,  Lucknow,  and  Central 
India.  The  medal  was  presented,  generally,  to  soldiers 
in  the  9th  Lancers  and  the  Bengal  Horse  Artillery, 
besides  many  civilians. 

In  1867-8,  a  medal  for  Abyssinia  was  minted.  In 
some  measure  it  was  an  interesting  award,  as  the 
usual  head  of  Victoria  was  superseded  by  another 
design,  engraved  by  J.  S.  Wyon  and  A.  B.  Wyon. 
In  this  case  the  royal  features  were  portrayed  within 
a  small  circle,  which  was  surrounded  by  a  star  having 
nine  points.  In  the  angles  formed  by  the  points  of 
the  star  the  letters  A-B-Y-S-S-I-N-I-A  were  printed. 
The  reverse  was  a  simple  circular  wreath.  There 
were  no  clasps,  and  the  ribbon — silver  grey  and  red 
in  colour — was  passed  through  a  circular  ring,  joined 
to  the  medal  by  a  royal  crown  fashioned  in   silver. 

In  1869,  a  much-belated  decoration  was  struck  for 
distribution  among  the  soldiers  and  sailors  who 
fought  against  the  Maoris  in  New  Zealand  in  1845-7 
and  1860-6. 

The  expeditionary  force  was  landed  in  1845,  in 
order  to  uphold  the  rights  of  British  settlers,  who 
complained  that  after  purchasing  allotments  of  land 
they  were  denied  their  title.     The  Maori  chiefs  dis- 


156       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

claimed  all  knowledge  of  such  practices,  but  when  a 
British  magistrate  presented  a  formal  complaint  to  a 
certain  Wairau  chief,  he  was  murdered.  This  seems 
to  have  been  a  signal  for  other  native  chiefs  to  rise 
and  maltreat  the  Europeans  generally.  The  British 
force,  it  may  be  added,  only  arrived  in  time  to 
prevent  a  wholesale  massacre  of  the  settlers  from  the 
Motherland. 

The  obverse  of  the  medal  bore  a  new  head  of 
Victoria,  wearing  widow's  weeds  ;  the  reverse  showed 
a  wreath,  and  the  inscription  "  New  Zealand, 
Virtutis  Honor:  1846-65."  For  reasons  which  are 
not  clear,  a  few  pieces  were  struck  bearing  no  date. 
The  ribbon  was  blue  and  red. 

As  the  historical  incidents  relating  to  the  medals 
of  recent  issue  are  generally  known,  it  will  only  be 
necessary  in  the  following  cases  to  describe  the 
designs  of  the  medals  themselves. 

Canada,  1866-70. — Yet  another  profile  of  Queen 
Victoria,  with  inscription  "Victoria  Regina  et 
Imperatrix."  On  the  reverse,  a  wreath  of  maple- 
leaves  and  a  Canadian  ensign.  Clasps — Fenian 
Raid,  1866;  Fenian  Raid,  1870;  Red  River,  1870. 
Ribbon — two  bars  of  red  and  one  of  grey. 

Ashanti,  1874-94. — Still  another  profile  of  Queen 
Victoria,  with  inscription  "Victoria  Regina."  The 
reverse  bore  a  group  of  British  soldiers  fighting 
savages  in  a  wood,  the  work  of  E.  J.  Poynter,  R.A. 
Clasps — Coomassie  ;  1887-8;  1891-2;  1892;  1893-4. 
Ribbon — yellow  and  black. 

Afghanistan,    1878-80. — Another  profile  of  Queen 


•  •     ...   *        •'• : 


-^^^siti^i0^ 


THE   SUTLEJ   MEDAL. 


^GOOJEBAT 


THE    inXJAB   MEDAL 


157 


THE   THIRD    IXDIAX   GENERAL 
SERVICE   MEDAL. 


MEDALS  STRUCK  BY  THE  MINT    159 

Victoria,  with  inscription  "Victoria  Regina  et 
Imperatrix."  On  the  reverse,  a  fine  picture  of 
Indian  soldiers  proceeding  through  a  mountain  pass, 
in  which  an  elephant  is  prominently  displayed. 
The  sketch  was  made  by  Randolph  Caldecott. 
Clasps —  Ali  Musjid  ;  Peiwar  -  Kotal ;  Charasia  ; 
Ahmed  Khel ;  Kabul ;  Kandahar.  Ribbon — green 
and  plum. 

Cape  of  Good  Hope  General  Service. — On  the  obverse, 
Victoria  with  widow's  weeds  and  small  crown.  On 
the  reverse,  the  words  "  Cape  of  Good  Hope,"  sur- 
mounting a  lion  and  unicorn.  Clasps — Bechuanaland ; 
Basutoland  ;  Transkei.     Ribbon — blue  and  yellow. 

Egypt,  1882-9.  —  Head  of  Victoria,  as  on  the 
Ashanti  medal,  on  obverse,  and  sphinx,  with  inscrip- 
tion "Egypt,  1882,"  on  the  reverse.  Clasps — 
Alexandria  ;  Tel-el-Kebir ;  Suakin  ;  El  Teb  ;  Tamaai; 
El  Teb-Tamaai ;  The  Nile,  1884-5 ;  Abou  Klea ; 
Kirbekan  ;  Suakin,  1884;  Tofrek  ;  Gemaizah  ;  Toski, 
1889.     Ribbon — grey  and  blue. 

North- West  Canada,  1885. — Obverse,  as  for  Egypt. 
Reverse,  maple  wreath,  and  inscription  "  North-West 
Canada,  1885."  Clasp — Saskatchewan.  Ribbon — 
grey  with  two  red  stripes. 

West  Aftica,  1890- 1900. — Head  as  in  previous  case. 
Reverse,  British  soldiers  fighting  savages  in  a  forest. 
Seventeen  clasps.     Ribbon — black  and  yellow. 

Matabeleland,  1893. — A  fresh  head  of  Victoria  on 
the  obverse,  and  a  wounded  lion,  with  the  inscription 
"  Matabeleland  "  on  the  reverse.  No  clasps.  Ribbon — 
orange  and  blue  in  seven  stripes. 

Central  Africa,  1894-8. — Medal  as  for  West  Africa. 


160       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

One  clasp.  "Central  Africa,  1894-8."   Ribbon — plum, 
silver,  and  black. 

Third  India  General  Service  Medal,  1895-8. — 
Victoria  in  widow's  weeds  on  obverse,  and  a  British 
and  Indian  soldier  grasping  a  standard  on  reverse. 
Six  clasps.     Ribbon — yellow  green  and  plum  red. 

Sudan,  1 896. — Head  and  shoulders  profile  of  Victoria 
on  obverse,  and  on  reverse  a  winged  figure  of  Victory 
grasping  a  flag  in  either  hand  and  "  Sudan  "  printed 
beneath  her  feet.  No  clasps.  Ribbon — a  thin  red 
stripe  separating  two  wide  bars  of  yellow  and  black. 
There  is  also  a  Khedive's  Sudan  medal  which  British 
soldiers  have  permission  to  wear. 

East  and  Central  Africa,  1897-9. — Obverse,  as  for 
Sudan.  Reverse,  Britannia  pointing  to  the  rising  sun. 
A  lion  accompanies  her.  Clasps — Lubwa's  Uganda  ; 
1897-8;  1898;  Uganda,  1899.  Ribbon — orange  and 
red  in  two  wide  bars. 

China,  1900. — Victoria  in  profile  on  obverse  ;  a  pile 
of  arms,  a  shield,  a  palm-tree,  and  the  Latin  quotation 
"  Armis  Exposcere  Pacem  "  on  the  reverse.  Clasps — 
Taku  Forts  ;  Defence  of  the  Legations ;  Relief  of 
Pekin.  Ribbon— a  wide  red  band  flanked  with 
yellow  edges. 

First  South  Africa,  1899-1902. — The  Queen's  head 
on  the  obverse,  as  in  previous  case.  Victory  oflering 
a  laurel  crown  to  an  army  of  British  soldiers. 
Twenty-six  clasps.  Ribbon — orange  flanked  with 
blue,  which  in  turn  is  flanked  with  red. 

Second  South  Africa,  190 1-2. — The  first  campaign 
medal  to  bear  King  Edward*s  profile.  Reverse,  as 
for   previous   award.     Clasps — South   Africa,    1901  ; 


MEDALS   STRUCK   BY  THE   MINT    161 


South  Africa,  1902.  Ribbon — equal  strips  of  green, 
silver,  and  orange. 

Ashanti,  1900. — Obverse,  as  for  second  South 
Africa.  Reverse,  a  lion  trampling  on  native  weapons, 
and  a  scroll  with  the  word  "  Ashanti."  Clasp — 
Kumassi.  Ribbon — three  strips  of  black  and  two 
of  green. 

East  African  General  Service,  1900-4. — Obverse,  as 
before.  Reverse,  Victory,  with  a  lion,  pointing  to  the 
rising  sun.  Fourteen  clasps.  Ribbon — black,  yellow, 
and  green  bars. 

Fourth  India  General  Service,  190 1-2. — Obverse,  as 
before.  Reverse  and  ribbon,  as  for  the  third  India 
General  Service  medal.  Clasp — Waziristan,  1901-2. 
Ribbon — three  strips  of  crimson  and  two  of  green. 

Tibet,  1903-4. — Obverse,  as  before.  Reverse,  the 
heights  of  Tibet  crowned  by  a  fortress.  Clasp — 
Gyantse.     Ribbon — green,  silver,  and  plum  colour. 


IX 


MILITARY 
DECORATIONS 
AWARDED  FOR 
SPECIAL 
SERVICES 


CHAPTER   IX 

MILITARY  DECORATIONS   AWARDED  FOR  SPECIAL 
SERVICES 


The  necessity  for  special  awards — The  Victoria  Cross— The  Order  of 
Merit — The  "Distinguished  Conduct  in  the  Field"  award — The 
Distinguished  Service  Order — The  Meritorious  Service  award — 
The  Lx)ng  Service  and  Good  Conduct  award — The  "Best  Shot" 
medal — Volunteer  decorations — Other  decorations 


The  reader  who  has  noted  the  facts  set  out  in  the 
two  previous  chapters  will  remember  how,  in  the 
earliest  days  of  medal  awarding,  the  general  plan 
was  to  decorate  none  but  the  soldiers  who  had 
performed  exceptional  service,  and  that,  as  time 
wore  on,  the  idea  developed  into  granting  medals 
to  all  who  took  part  in  warfare,  irrespective  of  the 
merits  of  each  individual.  The  latter  plan  must 
certainly  be  considered  the  more  satisfactory,  for 
personal  bravery  is  so  frequent  a  quality  displayed 
on  the  battlefield  that  all  who  take  part  in  these  life- 
and-death  struggles  should,  of  necessity,  receive  a 
token  of  the  King's  recognition. 

But  though  the  granting  of  campaign  medals  was 
a  step  in  the  right  direction,  it  tended  to  level  up  the 
ordinary  brave  soldier  and  the  soldier  possessing 
exceptional  merit,  and  this,  of  course,  was  a  principle 

105 


166       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

unsympathetic  to  English  feeling.  Accordingly,  we 
find  that  running  side  by  side  with  the  campaign 
medals  are  decorations  for  special  merit.  Undoubt- 
edly the  most  popular  and  the  most  coveted  of  all 
such  awards  is  the  V.C. 

The  Victoria  Cross  was  instituted  by  a  Royal 
Warrant  of  January  29,  1856 — during  the  Crimean 
War,  in  fact — and  its  inception  was  largely  due  to 
the  thoughtfulness  of  Queen  Victoria  and  the  Prince 
Consort.  The  cross  itself  is  severe  and  plain  in 
design,  but  loses  nothing  on  this  account ;  it  was 
formerly  struck  from  the  metal  of  old  cannon  taken 
in  the  campaign  against  the  Russians,  but  to-day 
we  can  only  claim  that  its  metal  composition  once 
formed  part  of  artillery  pieces  of  some  kind  or  other. 
The  pattern  is  too  well  known  to  need  description, 
but  it  may  be  added  that  the  shape  and  design  were 
modelled  on  the  Peninsular  gold  cross.  The  ribbon 
is  crimson  for  the  Army  and  blue  for  the  Navy. 

The  Victoria  Cross  may  be  won  by  soldiers  of  all 
ranks  ;  when  awarded  to  non-commissioned  officers 
and  privates  it  carries  with  it  an  annuity  of  ;f  10, 
though  this  sum  may  be  increased  in  special  cases. 
If  the  medal  be  sold  during  the  life-time  of  the 
recipient  the  pension  can  be  withdrawn,  and  if  the 
possessor  be  convicted  in  the  civil  or  military  courts 
for  any  but  trivial  offences,  the  same  punishment 
may  be  enforced. 

There  are  many  rules  regulating  the  granting  o 
this  coveted  award ;  the  following  are  perhaps  the 
most  interesting : — 

"It  is  ordained    that    the    cross    shall    only 


DECORATIONS  FOR  SPECIAL  SERVICE    167 

awarded  to  those  officers  or  men  who  have  served 
Us  in  the  presence  of  the  enemy,  and  shall  then 
have  performed  some  signal  act  of  valour  or  devotion 
to  their  country. 

"It  is  ordained  with  a  view  to  place  all  persons 
on  a  perfectly  equal  footing  in  relation  to  elegibility 
for  the  decoration,  that  neither  rank,  nor  long  service, 
nor  wounds,  nor  any  other  circumstance  or  condition 
whatsoever,  save  the  merit  of  conspicuous  bravery, 
shall  be  held  to  establish  a  sufficient  claim  to  the 
honour. 

"  It  is  ordained  that  in  the  event  of  a  gallant  and 
daring  act  having  been  performed  by  a  squadron  not 
under  50  in  number,  or  by  a  brigade,  regiment,  troop, 
or  company  in  which  the  admiral,  general,  or  other 
officer  commanding  such  force  may  deem  that  all  are 
equally  brave  and  distinguished,  and  that  no  special 
selection  can  be  made  by  them  ;  then  in  such  case, 
the  admiral,  general,  or  other  officer  commanding, 
may  direct,  that  for  any  such  body  of  sailors  or 
soldiers,  one  officer  shall  be  selected  by  the  officers 
engaged  for  the  decoration  ;  and  in  like  manner  one 
petty  officer  or  non-commissioned  officer  shall  be 
selected  by  the  petty  officers  and  non-commissioned 
officers  engaged  ;  and  two  seamen  or  private  soldiers 
or  marines  shall  be  selected  by  the  seamen  or  private 
soldiers  or  marines  engaged  respectively  for  the 
decoration,  and  the  names  of  those  selected  shall  be 
transmitted  ...  to  the  admiral  or  general  officer 
commanding,  who  shall  in  due  manner  confer  the 
decoration  as  if  the  acts  were  done  under  his  own 
eye." 


168       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

There  has  been  much  discussion  of  late  as  to 
whether  bars  are  ever  awarded  with  the  Victoria 
Cross.  Undoubtedly,  these  additional  marks  of 
valour  are  at  times  given,  but  instances  where  they 
have  been  received  are  rare.  It  should  perhaps  be 
stated  definitely,  that  where  a  second  act  of  sufficient 
bravery  is  performed  before  the  cross  is  conferred, 
details  of  the  second  act  are  engraved  ^vith  details 
of  the  first  upon  the  rear  of  the  medal,  but  where 
the  second  act  is  carried  out  after  the  medal  has 
been  conferred,  a  bar  is  awarded  and  the  ;^io  grant 
increased  to  £1$.  The  fourth  clause  of  the  Royal 
Warrant  of  January  29,  1856,  makes  this  point  quite 
clear : — 

"  It  is  ordained  that  any  one  who  after  having 
received  the  cross  shall  again  perform  an  act  of 
bravery  which,  if  he  had  not  received  such  cross, 
would  have  entitled  him  to  it,  such  further  act 
shall  be  recorded  by  a  bar  attached  to  the  ribbon 
by  which  the  cross  is  suspended,  and  for  every 
additional  act  of  bravery  an  additional  bar  may  be 
added." 

The  brave  deeds  which  have  been  rewarded  by 
grants  of  the  Victoria  Cross  make  thrilling  reading, 
but  space  cannot  be  spared  here  for  recounting  the 
most  stirring  of  them.  A  brief  description  of  each 
award  is  given  in  Mr.  D.  Hastings  Irwin's  book 
"  War  Medals  and  Decorations,"  whilst  Mr.  Philip 
A.  Wilkin's  "  History  of  the  Victoria  Cross "  also 
contains  much  valuable  information.  Before  turning 
to  the  next  medal,  it  may  be  interesting  to  add  that 
crosses  are  often  granted  after  death  ;  a  case  in  point 


DECORATIONS  FOR  SPECIAL  SERVICE    169 


was  that  of  Lord  Roberts's  son  who  fell  at  Colenso 
in   1899. 

Another  decoration  awarded  for  bravery  is  the  1^ 
Order  of  Merit,  which  was  instituted  in  1837. 
Unlike  other  awards,  it  was  divided  into  three 
classes ;  the  third  class  being  granted  for  the  first 
conspicuous  act  of  gallantry,  the  second  class  for  a 
repetition  of  such  act,  and  the  first  class  for  a  third 
instance. 

The  decoration  was  made  in  three  patterns,  each 
of  which  was  one  and  a  half  inches  in  diameter. 
The  shape  was  an  eight-rayed  star.  The  centre  of 
the  award  consisted  of  two  crossed  swords,  around 
which  was  written  "  Reward  for  Valour,"  on  a  back- 
ground of  blue  enamel. 

The  first-class  decoration  was  made  in  gold  and 
bore  a  gold  wreath  ;  the  second-class  was  silver  with 
a  gold  wreath  ;  and  the  third-class,  silver  with  a 
silver  wreath.  All  were  to  be  worn  on  the  left 
breast.  A  money  grant  formed  part  of  the  award, 
and  it  is  worth  noting  that  the  widow  of  a  recipient 
drew  the  annuity  for  three  years  after  her  husband's 
death.  ^ 

A  third  decoration  for  bravery  is  the  "  Distin- 
guished Conduct  in  the  Field"  award.  This  was 
instituted  by  Royal  Warrant  on  June  4,  1853,  for 
sergeants,  and  by  a  later  warrant  (December  4, 
1854)  for  all  non-commissioned  officers  and  privates. 
The  decoration  was  given  to  mark  "  the  Sovereign's 
sense  of  the  distinguished  service  and  gallant  conduct 
in  the  field  of  the  army  then  serving  in  the  Crimea  " 
and  since.     By  an  amending  warrant  of  February  7, 


i\dt\. 


170       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

1 88 1,  a  bar  could  be  earned  by  performing  a  sub- 
sequent act  of  gallantry.  The  methods  of  selecting 
recipients  was  as  follows : — 

The  commanding  officer  of  each  cavalry  regiment 
could,  if  he  thought  fit,  select  one  sergeant,  two 
corporals,  and  four  privates  for  decoration,  whilst  an 
officer  of  an  infantry  regiment  could  select  one 
sergeant,  four  corporals,  and  ten  privates.  The 
award  originally  carried  with  it  a  grant  of  £1$  in 
the  case  of  sergeants,  ;£"io  in  the  case  of  corporals, 
and  £^  in  the  case  of  privates — sums  which  were 
banked  until  the  time  when  the  soldiers  took  their 
discharge. 

The  medal  was  fashioned  in  silver ;  the  obverse 
bore  a  military  trophy  of  arms  in  the  centre  of 
which  was  the  shield  of  the  reigning  sovereign, 
whilst  the  reverse  was  lettered  "  For  Distinguished 
Conduct  in  the  Field."  The  ribbon  was  red,  blue, 
and  red  in  equal  strips.  It  was  worn  on  the  left 
breast. 

The  medal,  as  now  awarded,  bears  a  profile  of 
the  reigning  monarch  instead  of  the  trophy  of  arms, 
and  recipients  are  offered  either  a  gratuity  of  ;£"20 
on  discharge,  or  an  increase  of  sixpence  per  day  on 
their  pension  allowance. 

In  1886,  the  "Distinguished  Service  Order"  was 
instituted.  The  initial  Royal  Warrant  affecting  this 
order,  under  date  of  September  6, 1886,  said  :  "  Where- 
as we  have  taken  into  our  royal  consideration  that 
the  means  of  adequately  rewarding  the  distinguished 
service  of  officers  in  our  naval  and  military  services 
who  have  been  honourably  mentioned  in  dispatches 


■^^ 


THK   QUEEN   AND   KING's  SOUTH    AFRICAN    MEDALS,    1899-I902. 
(The  same  reverse  was  used  for  bcith  pieces.) 


171 


I 


DECORATIONS  FOR  SPECIAL  SERVICE    173 

are  limited.  Now,  for  the  purpose  of  attaining  an 
end  so  desirable  as  that  of  rewarding  individual 
instances  of  meritorious  or  distinguished  service  in 
war,  we  have  instituted  a  new  naval  and  military 
order  of  distinction  which  we  are  desirous  should  be 
highly  prized  by  the  officers  of  our  naval  and 
military  services." 

The  order  consists  of  a  gold  cross  shaped  out  of  a 
circle  of  conspicuous  and  pleasing  design.  The 
metal  is  gold,  but  the  surface  is  enamel-coated.  The 
predominant  colouring  is  white,  but  a  gold  edging, 
a  green  wreath,  and  a  red  centre  lend  effectiveness 
to  the  design.  Both  faces  are  decorated,  the  obverse 
with  a  crown,  and  the  reverse  with  the  royal  cypher. 
The  ribbon,  which  is  crimson  edged  with  blue,  is 
bounded  both  top  and  bottom  by  a  gold  bar. 

The  last  award  to  be  mentioned  here  for  brave 
conduct  is  the  Meritorious  Service  medal,  which 
is  now  superseded  by  the  "  Distinguished  Conduct  in 
the  Field  "  medal.  This  award  received  royal 
sanction  in  1845  for  the  Army,  and  in  1849  ^or  the 
Marines.     The  warrant  said  : — 

"We  deem  it  expedient  to  afford  a  greater  en- 
couragement to  the  Non-commissioned  Officers  and 
Soldiers  of  Our  Army  who  may  have  distinguished 
themselves,  or  who  may  have  given  good,  faithful,  and 
efficient  service. 

"  It  is  our  further  will  and  pleasure  that  a  sum  not 
exceeding  ;f2,ooo  a  year  be  distributed  for  the 
purpose  of  granting  annuities  as  rewards  for  distin- 
guished or  meritorious  service  to  Sergeants  who  are 
now,  or  who  may  be  hereafter  in  the  Service,  either 


174       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

while  serving  or  after  discharge  with  or  without 
pension,  in  sums  not  exceeding  ;f  20;  which  may  be 
held  during  service,  and  together  with  pension." 

The  medal  earned  but  little  popularity  as  it  was 
awarded,  not  only  for  bravery,  but  for  exemplary 
conduct  in  peace  times.  Now  the  "Distinguished 
Conduct  in  the  Field "  medal  was  preferred  in 
cases  of  bravery,  and  the  "  Long  Service  and 
Good  Conduct"  medal  was  preferred  in  cases  of 
exemplary  conduct :  thus  its  use  was  limited,  and 
the  authorities  withdrew  it  a  few  years  after  the 
first  issue. 

The  Long  Service  and  Good  Conduct  medal  was 
the  earliest  award  which  could  be  earned  in  times 
of  peace.  It  was  first  issued  on  July  30,  1830,  by 
William  IV.  The  obverse  bore  a  military  trophy 
of  arms  and  the  King's  escutcheon,  whilst  the  reverse 
was  inscribed  "For  Long  Service  and  Good  Con- 
duct." The  most  recent  copies  bear  a  profile  of 
the  royal  sovereign  on  the  obverse.  The  ribbon  is 
crimson. 

The  medal  was  intended  for  non-commissioned 
officers  and  men  who  had  been  discharged  in  receipt 
of  gratuities  after  serving  twenty-one  years  in  the 
infantry  or  twenty-four  in  the  cavalry.  To-day, 
eighteen  years'  exemplary  service  only  is  required, 
and  there  is  a  gratuity  of  £s  on  discharge. 

Special  regulations  at  the  outset  affected  the 
granting  of  the  "  Long  Service "  medal  to  the 
Marines.  The  Commandant  of  the  Division  of 
Royal  Marines,  the  warrant  ran,  may  annually 
recommend  a  certain  number  of  men  of  meritorious 


DECORATIONS  FOR  SPECIAL  SERVICE    175 


I 
I 


conduct  for  the  "  Good  Conduct  and  Long  Service  " 
medal  with  a  gratuity  as  follows  : — 

Sergeant  who  shall  have  served  ten  years  as  such 

£iS. 

Corporal  who  shall  have  served  seven  years  as 
such,  £y. 

Private,  £^. 

The  men  to  be  recommended  must  have  com- 
pleted twenty-one  years  of  actual  service,  have  borne 
an  irreproachable  character,  and  have  never  been 
convicted  by  a  court-martial. 

In  1867  a  decoration  was  instituted  for  the  "  Best 
Shot"  in  the  Infantry  Regiments.  It  was  awarded 
annually  by  competition,  and  carried  with  it  a  money 
grant  of  ;£'20.  As  the  award  was  discontinued  in 
1883,  specimens  are  rare,  and  seldom  available  for 
purchase. 

The  obverse  of  the  medal  bore  Poynter's  draped 
profile  of  Victoria,  whilst  the  reverse  showed  Fame 
placing  a  wreath  on  the  head  of  a  warrior.  The 
earlier  copies  are  found  in  bronze,  the  later  ones 
in  silver.  The  ribbon  was  somewhat  gaudy,  con- 
sisting of  seven  strips,  three  narrow  ones  of  black, 
white,  and  black,  then  a  wide  one  of  red,  and  finally 
three  more  narrow  ones  of  black,  white,  and  black. 


Volunteer  decorations  are  numerous  and  one  or 
two  collectors  of  our  acquaintance  have  specialized 
in  them  and  gathered  together  series  of  much  value 
and  interest. 

The  earliest  Volunteer  specimens  which  we  have 
seen  are  those  which  came  from  corps  raised  during 


176       CHATS  ON   MILITARY  CURIOS 

the  Napoleonic  times  of  trouble,  especially  those 
which  dated  from  the  period  when  an  invasion  of 
England  was  feared. 

At  this  time  there  were  some  hundreds  of 
volunteer  corps  throughout  the  land,  many  of  them 
were  only  small  organizations,  it  is  true,  but  the 
old  lists  tell  us  that  the  volunteers  aggregated  some 
500,000  men  in  all.  The  force  as  a  whole  was  well 
organized  and  well  equipped,  and  proficiency  was 
encouraged  by  the  granting  of  medals  and  decora- 
tions. These  awards  were  not  granted  by  Royal 
Warrant  but  by  the  patrons  of  each  corps,  though 
official  sanction  was  always  obtained  previously.  On 
this  account  we  may  look  upon  the  medals  as  pro- 
perly authenticated  specimens  well  worth  collecting. 

Most  of  the  volunteer  medals  which  we  have  seen 
of  this  period  bear  dates  between  1776  and  18 16,  whilst 
many  of  them  are  highly  artistic  and  ornamental. 
We  have  seen  specimens  given  by  the  following 
corps — the  names  are  worth  mentioning  if  only  to 
show  the  quarters  in  which  the  bodies  were  raised  : — 

The  Bank  of  England  Volunteers. 
The  Bermondsey  Volunteers. 
The  Broad  Street  Ward  Volunteers. 
The  Essex  Volunteer  Cavalry. 
Hans  Town  Association  Volunteers. 
Loyal  Cork  Volunteers. 
Sadler's  Sharpshooters. 
Walthamstow  Volunteers. 

I  Of  recent  Volunteer  awards  the  Volunteer  Officers' 


DECORATIONS  FOR  SPECIAL  SERVICE    177 


I 


Decoration  is  probably  the  best  known.  The 
Royal  Warrant  which  proclaimed  its  issue,  under 
date  of  July  25,  1892,  said: — 

"  Whereas  it  is  Our  Royal  desire  to  reward  for 
long  and  meritorious  service  of  Officers  of  proved 
capacity  in  Our  Volunteer  Force:  Now  for  the 
purpose  of  attaining  this  end,  We  have  instituted, 
constituted,  and  created,  and  by  these  presents 
to  Us,  Our  Heirs  and  Successors,  constitute  and 
create  a  new  decoration  which  we  are  desirous 
should  be  highly  prized  by  Officers  of  Our  Volunteer 
Force :  and  We  are  graciously  pleased  to  make, 
ordain  and  establish  the  following  rules  and 
ordinances  for  the  Government  of  the  same  which 
shall  from  henceforth  be  observed  and  kept." 

Then  followed  eight  clauses,  of  which  the  following 
is  the  chief: — 

"It  is  ordained  that  no  person  shall  be  eligible 
for  this  Decoration  nor  be  nominated  thereto  unless 
he  is  or  was  a  Commissioned  Officer  and  has  served 
twenty  years  in  Our  Volunteer  Force,  is  recom- 
mended by  the  Commanding  Officer  of  the  Corps 
in  which  he  has  served,  and  is  duly  certified  by  the 
District  Military  Authorities  in  which  the  Corps 
is  located  as  having  been  an  efficient  and  thoroughly 
capable  Officer,  in  every  way  deserving  of  such 
decoration  :  Provided  nevertheless  and  We  do  hereby 
declare  that  half  of  any  time  during  which  an  Officer 
of  Our  Volunteer  Force  may  have  served  in  the 
ranks  of  Our  said  Force  shall  reckon  as  qualifying 
service  towards  the  twenty  years  required  as 
aforesaid." 


178       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

The  decoration  consisted  of  a  striking  oval  badge : 
the  edge  was  a  silver  oak  wreath,  whilst  the  royal 
cypher  and  crown,  in  outline,  filled  the  centre.  A 
green  ribbon  was  provided  with  a  silver  bar  flanking 
its  topmost  edge. 

Two  years  after  the  officers'  decoration  received 
sanction  a  similar  award,  known  as  the  "  Volunteer 
Long  Service  Medal,"  was  provided  primarly 
for  the  men.  The  medal  was  granted  to  all 
Volunteers — including  officers  who  had  served  in 
the  ranks,  but  who  had  not  qualified  for  the  previous 
medal — on  completion  of  twenty  years'  service  in 
the  Volunteer  Force,  provided  that  they  were 
actually  serving  on  January  i,  1893,  and  that  the 
commanding  officer  recommended  such  award. 
Service  in  the  Militia  or  Imperial  Yeomanry  could 
be  reckoned  towards  the  required  period  of  years. 

The  obverse  of  the  medal  bore  a  profile  of  the 
reigning  sovereign  (in  the  case  of  Queen  Victoria, 
the  bust  was  designed  much  after  the  style  of  that 
chosen  for  the  Jubilee  silver  coinage)  ;  the  reverse 
consisted  of  a  scroll,  with  the  words  "For  Long 
Service  in  the  Volunteer  Force"  arranged  among 
palm  and  laurel  sprays.  The  medal  was  silver, 
and  the  ribbon  green. 

The  last  decoration  with  which  we  shall  deal  at 
length  is  the  National  Rifle  Association's  medal, 
which  was  awarded  to  the  best  shot  in  the  Volunteer 
Force.  There  were  three  pieces,  one  each  of  gold, 
silver,  and  bronze,  which  could  be  competed  for 
annually.  The  awards  were  instituted  in  the 
year  i860. 


DECORATIONS  FOR  SPECIAL  SERVICE    179 


The  medal  was  of  very  fine  design.  The  obverse 
revealed  a  bygone  English  soldier  in  possession  of 
a  bow,  and  a  volunteer  holding  a  rifle ;  both  figures 
were  standing.  The  reverse  bore  a  circular  wreath^ 
within  which  the  words  "  The  National  Rifle  Asso- 
ciation" and  the  date  were  inscribed.  I 


I 


There  are  other  decorations  which  it  is  well  to 
mention  by  name.     They  are  : — 

1.  The  Imperial  Yeomanry  Long  Service  Medal, 
which  demands  ten  years'  service  and  ten  trainings. 

2.  The  Militia  Long  Service  Medal,  which  is 
granted  to  non-commissioned  officers  and  men  who 
have  served  eighteen  years  and  completed  fifteen 
trainings. 

3.  The  Territorial  Force  Efficiency  Medal,  which 
has  taken  the  place  of  one  of  the  Volunteer  medals 
mentioned  above. 

4.  The  Jubilee  Medal. 

5.  The  Coronation  Medal. 

6.  The  Military  Cross,  awarded  for  Distinguished 
and  Meritorious  Service. 


MILITARY 
MEDALLIONS 


10 


II 


I 


CHAPTER  X 

MILITARY  MEDALLIONS 


General  considerations — The  "lost  wax"  process — Hadrian's  medal- 
lions— Renaissance  examples — Simon,  the  medallist — Wyon's  work 
— Public  collections — Some  noted  medallions  described 


From  the  days  when  Roman  militarism  dominated 
the  world  down  to  the  present  time,  the  deeds  of 
successful  soldiers  have  been  commemorated  by  the 
striking  of  medallions.  Needless  to  say  these  metal 
pieces,  which  so  admirably  recall  the  outstanding 
events  in  war  and  soldiery,  are  highly  prized  by 
antiquarians,  and  the  labour  spent  in  gathering 
together  a  collection  of  them  is  richly  rewarded. 

Medallions  have  been  fashioned  from  all  the  usual 
metals,  but  gold,  silver,  copper,  bronze,  and  lead 
have  been  generally  employed.  The  processes 
followed  in  making  them  have  been  as  numerous 
as  the  metals  :  ordinary  casting  was,  at  one  time, 
the  favourite  method,  but  striking,  engraving,  and 
hand  modelling  have  all  been  employed  in  turn. 
Mediaeval  medallists  often  resorted  to  the  "  lost 
wax  "  I  process,  and  extremely  fine  work  they  were 
enabled  to  turn  out  by  this  means. 

*  Perhaps  it  will  be  well  to  briefly  explain  this  system  of  founding, 
as  it  is  not  generally  understood.  Adeline  in  "  The  Art  Dictionary," 
p.  243,  describes  it  as  follows  : — 

1S8 


184       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

The  earliest  medallions  date  from  very  remote 
times,  but  the  Hadrian  era  may  be  considered  the 
period  in  which  these  souvenirs  of  memorable  actions 
first  became  popular.  From  Hadrian's  time  to  the 
fall  of  the  Roman  Empire  they  were  struck  to 
commemorate  every  deed  of  note,  but  after  the 
decline  we  hear  little  of  them  until  the  Renaissance, 
when  such  Italian  artists  as  Pisano  and  Guaciolotti 
revived  their  popularity.  From  the  Renaissance 
onwards,  the  art  of  medallion-making  flourished  in 
Italy  under  the  guidance  of  Benvenuto  Cellini,  of 
Albert  Diirer  in  Germany,  and  of  Jacques  Primavera 
in  France,  but  it  was  not  until  the  time  of  Henry  VIII 
that  English  workers  turned  their  attention  to  this 
pleasing  way  of  marking  important  military  and 
civil  events.  Of  course,  we  find  medallions  com- 
memorating glorious  deeds  which  took  place  in 
periods  other  than  those  mentioned;  in  such  cases, 
the  pieces  were  probably  struck  long  after  the 
occurrence  took  place. 

It  is  a  little  difficult  to  know  what  specimens  to 
include  and  what  to  exclude  from  a  collection  of 

'  *  A  process  of  bronze  founding  in  which  the  core  is  covered  with 
an  accurate  representation  of  the  object  to  be  cast  in  wax,  the  wax 
being  of  the  intended  thickness  of  the  metal.  The  wax  is  then 
coated  with  a  porous  clay,  and  the  whole  mass  is  put  in  a  pit  and 
baked.  During  the  process  of  baking  the  wax  melts  and  runs  off 
through  apertures  left  for  the  purpose.  The  space  left  after  the  wax 
is  melted  is  occupied  by  the  metal.  This,  the  oldest  method  of 
bronze  founding,  is  probably  the  best,  and  in  the  present  day  it  is 
being  pretty  generally  adopted.  In  the  method,  which  for  some 
time  has  been  in  vogue,  the  core  was  made  of  the  exact  size  of  the 
object  to  be  cast  and  afterwards  pared  down,  so  as  to  leave  space  for 
the  metal  to  run  in  between  the  core  and  the  mould." 


I 
I 


MILITARY  MEDALLIONS  185 

medallions,  as  there  are  no  official  issues,  and  as  any 
metal  worker  can  flood  the  market  with  original 
designs  of  his  own  or  with  facsimiles  of  rare  and 
ancient  strikings  of  bygone  artists.  Personally, 
we  think  that  any  medallion  which  is  artistically 
fashioned  and  which  commemorates  an  event  of 
interest  to  us  is  worth  adding  to  the  collection,  but, 
of  course,  we  must  learn  to  know  the  difference 
between  an  original  and  a  counterfeit  specimen. 
This,  however,  is  too  intricate  a  science  to  explain 
here,  but  can  be  learnt  from  works  written  by 
numismatists,  with  a  fair  amount  of  applica- 
tion. 

No  catalogues  exist  of  the  English  medallions 
issued  since  Henry  VIITs  time,  but  the  pieces 
which  are  the  most  interesting  were  struck  by : — 

1.  Simon,  who  grew  to  fame  in  the  reign  of 
Charles  II.  He  engraved  the  royal  seals  and 
executed  many  fine  medallions. 

2.  Rawlings. 

3.  The  Wyon  family.  William  Wyon,  the  most 
renowned  of  at  least  three  engravers  of  this  family, 
engraved  the  royal  seals,  the  Peninsular  medals, 
and  the  dies  for  the  first  postage  stamps,  besides 
many  medallions   of  a    military  and    civil    interest. 

Collectors  of  these  metal  souvenirs  should  examine 
the  exhibits  in  the  British  Museum  and  the  Royal 
United  Service  Museum,  whilst  an  occasional  glance 
in  the  windows  of  Messrs.  Spink  &  Sons  in 
Piccadilly  will  often  reveal  specimens  of  more  than 
ordinary  interest.  This  well-known  firm  issue  a 
monthly  circular  which   contains   much   of  interest 


186       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

to  the  reader  who  is  intent  on  adding  valuable 
specimens  to  his  collection. 

A  few  illustrations  depicting  some  of  the  most 
noted  medallions  may  be  given  with  advantage. 

The  specimen  below,  one  of  the  oldest  in  existence, 
was   struck   in   gold    to   commemorate  the  glorious 


deeds  of  Julius  Caesar.     Speaking  of  the  medallion, 
Plutarch  says : — 

"Julius  Csesar,  on  his  return  to  Rome,  after 
having  won  a  successful  issue  at  the  Battle  of 
Pharsalus,  was  named  the  'Liberator,  the  head 
of  the  Fatherland,  the  permanent  dictator,'  and 
received  for  the  first  time,  the  title  of  Emperor. 
The  Senators,  wishing  to  reward  him  for  the 
humane  treatment  which  he  accorded  those  who 
fought  against  him,  during  the  civil  wars,  erected 
a  temple  of  Mercy,  circular  in  shape,  supported 
by  six  columns,  in  the  middle  of  which  is  the 
figure  of  '  Concord '  holding  in  the  right  hand  the 
horn  of  Plenty  and  in  the  left  a  spear." 


MILITARY  MEDALLIONS 


187 


The  first  medallion  given  on  this  page  was  struck 
to  commemorate  the  victory  gained  by  William  III 


at  the  Battle  of  the  Boyne.  The  obverse  shows  a 
familiar  portrait  of  the  King,  whilst  the  reverse 
depicts  him  in  the  act  of  crossing  the  river  at  the 
head  of  his  troops. 

The   next    medallion    shows   James    II    on    the 
obverse,    and   an   orange-tree   laden    with   fruit    by 


the  side    of  an  old  oak,  falling  to   the   ground,   on 
the   reverse.      The   piece   was    evidently  struck   to 


188       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

commemorate  the  fall  of  James  II,  and  the  supremacy 
of  the  House  of  Orange. 

The   fourth  medallion   is  one    of   the    numerous 
specimens  which  were  struck  to  do  honour  to  Marl- 


borough and  his  victorious  army.  The  obverse  shows 
Prince  Eugene  and  the  Duke,  who  are  likened  to 
the  Roman  deliverers.  Castor  and  Pollux.  On  the 
reverse,  a  picture  representing  the  rout  of  the  French 
and  the  surrender  of  Marshal  Tallard  at  Blenheim 
is  given. 

The  fifth  piece  illustrated  here  was  struck  to  com- 


MILITARY  MEDALLIONS 


189 


memorate  the  Battle  of  Ramilies.  On  one  side  the 
battle  is  represented  at  the  moment  of  victory  ;  on  the 
other  is  an  emblematic  representation  of  the  union  of 
England  and  Holland.  Behind  the  figure  of  England, 
on  a  pillar  inscribed  with  the  first  three  letters  of  his 
name,  stands  a  bust  of  Marlborough,  and  opposite  is 
another  of  D'Ouwerkerke. 

Another  specimen   in  the   Marlborough   series   is 
given  below.     The  obverse  represents  Marlborough 


K 

■     and  Eugene  as  Castor  and  Pollux  whilst  the  reverse 
B     presents  a  view  of  the  battle  and  town  of  Oudenarde. 


190       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

The  medallion  given  at  the  foot  of  the  previous 
page  was  struck  to  commemorate  the  surrender  of  Lille 
in  1708.  Victory  is  shown,  on  the  front  face,  taking 
the  civic  crown  from  the  head  of  a  prostrate  female, 
who  represents  the  city  of  Lille,  whilst  the  under  face 
depicts  Britannia,  with  the  ^Egis,  striking  France  with 
terror. 


The  eighth  medallion  commemorates  the  Battle 
Dumblane. 

The  ninth  medallion  was  struck  in  honour  of  the 


A   CHKCK    To    COK'MCAN    ASMKANCK, 
By  Cruikshank. 


191 


MILITARY  MEDALLIONS 


193 


victory  gained  at  the  Battle  of  Dettingen  on  June  27, 
1743,  whilst  the  tenth,  given  below,  commemorates 
the  victory  of  Minden,  gained  on  August  i,  1759. 


(XI 


MILITARY 
PRINTS 


CHAPTER   XI 


MILITARY  PRINTS 


I 


The  period  1750-1860 — Works  including  military  prints — Where  to 
search  for  bargains — The  kind  of  print  most  sought  after — Works 
including  6ne  military  prints — Bunbury — Gillray 

In  the  following  notes  we  do  not  propose  to  go 
deeply  into  the  lore  of  print  collecting,  as  the  matter 
is  too  involved  for  treatment  in  these  pages,  and  also 
because  such  admirable  books  as  "  Chats  on  Old 
Prints,"  by  Arthur  Hayden,  already  cover  the  ground. 
Here  we  propose  to  talk  of  military  prints  as  they 
affect  the  general  collector  of  military  curios. 

Printed  pictures  of  soldiers  and  soldiery  are  to  be 
found  dating  back  almost  to  the  days  of  Caxton,  but 
those  coming  within  the  period  1 750-1 860  seem  to 
be  the  most  interesting.  Probably  this  is  due,  in  the 
main,  to  three  reasons.  First,  the  period  was  one  of 
much  military  unrest,  and  people's  interests  were 
largely  centred  on  the  army.  Secondly,  the  costumes 
of  the  various  regiments  were  attractive  and  showy, 
and  lent  themselves  to  pictorial  treatment.  And 
thirdly,  the  art  of  printing  had  reached  a  stage  when 
reproductions  were  no  longer  so  expensive  as  to  be 
almost  prohibitive  in  price. 

19T 


198       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

Most  of  the  prints  which  we  have  seen  of  this 
period  were  originally  published  as  illustrations  to 
books,  a  good  number  were  issued  as  sets  in  port- 
folios, whilst  a  few  were  sold  separately.  The  books 
which  contain  these  military  pictures,  especially  when 
the  latter  are  coloured,  fetch  high  prices,  but 
fortunately  the  collector  can  become  conversant 
with  these  gems  of  the  printer's  art  in  such  treasure- 
houses  as  the  British  Museum  and  the  South 
Kensington  Museum.  Those  of  us  who  can  afford 
to  buy  perfect  copies  of  such  illustrated  works  will 
find  admirable  collections  for  sale  at  Messrs.  Maggs 
Brothers,  in  the  Strand;  Messrs.  Robson  &  Co., 
in  Coventry  Street,  W.C. ;  and  Messrs.  Henry 
Sotheran  &  Co.,  in  Piccadilly. 

But  though  these  works,  illustrated  with  military 
prints,  are  costly,  the  collector  of  moderate  means 
may  gather  together  quite  an  extensive  collection 
of  the  pictures,  torn  from  the  complete  works,  at 
no  great  outlay.  It  may  seem  surprising  to  all  of 
us  who  are  curio-lovers  but  it  is  a  fact  that  there  are 
still  people  who  are  so  ignorant  of  the  value  of  books 
and  pictures  that  they  will  snatch  out  the  illustra- 
tions from  priceless  volumes  and  sell  the  former  for 
a  few  coppers,  throwing  away  the  letterpress.  Only 
the  other  day  we  were  talking  with  a  friendly  col- 
lector who  showed  us  a  batch  of  Ackermann's 
coloured  plates  which  he  had  obtained,  for  a  few 
pence  each,  although  the  actual  value  was,  at  the 
least,  half  a  guinea  per  copy.  «l 

The  collector,  therefore,  must  be  on  the  look-out 
for  bargains  of  this  nature ;  he  will  find  them  in  the 


M 
c» 

2: 

o 
a 
2: 

o 
ij 

Cd 
K 
H 

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52    ^ 

<;     05 

u 

OS 

< 


199 


MILITARY   PRINTS  201 

portfolios  which  usually  encumber  the  doorways  of 
the  second-hand  booksellers  in  Charing  Cross  Road, 
Praed  Street,  Museum  Street,  Shaftesbury  Avenue, 
and  the  stalls  along  Farringdon  Road.  In  these 
interesting  quarries  he  will  assuredly  make  dis- 
coveries from  time  to  time ;  so  he  will  if  he  keeps 
an  eye  on  establishments  of  a  similar  nature  in 
the  outskirts  of  London. 

A  few  general  words  on  the  value  of  military 
prints  may  be  of  interest.  Those  which  depict  types 
of  soldiers  are  generally  more  sought  after  than 
those  representing  battle  scenes  ;  those  of  noted 
commanders  are,  of  course,  valuable,  but  represen- 
tations of  little-known  commanders,  wearing  per- 
haps court  rather  than  military  dress,  are  not  in 
much  demand.  Pictures  in  which  soldiers  play  a 
minor  part  are  also  of  little  interest  to  the  collector 
of  military  curios,  as  there  is  always  a  possibility 
that  the  uniforms  have  been  drawn  more  with  the 
idea  of  being  picturesque  than  accurate.  Machine- 
coloured  pictures  are,  of  course,  highly  treasured, 
as  they  give  a  much  better  idea  of  the  uniforms 
than  do  monochromes.  When  hand-coloured  there 
is  no  guarantee  of  correct  impression  ;  in  fact  such 
pictures  are  often  glaringly  misleading. 

Having  made  these  preliminary  remarks,  it  may 
be  well  to  point  out  some  of  the  best-known  works 
containing  military  prints. 

"  The  British  Military  Library,"  published  not  later 
than  1801,  in  two  volumes,  contains  some  score  or 
more  of  accurately  drawn  plates  representing  types 

11 


202       CHATS   ON  MILITARY   CURIOS 

of  the  British  Army.  They  are  well  executed, 
though  the  figures  appear  a  trifle  stifif  and  wooden. 

Spooner's  "  Military  and  Naval  Uniforms,"  by 
Mansion  and  Eschauzier,  seventy  plates  in  colour, 
dating  from  1833.  These  are  probably  some  of  the 
finest  representations  of  early  nineteenth-century 
uniforms  that  the  collector  can  possess.  The  dresses 
are  accurately  depicted,  but  the  artists  do  not  excel 
when  drawing  galloping  horses. 

Ackermann's  "  Costumes  of  the  British  and  Indian 
Armies,"  by  various  artists.  Some  sixty  odd  coloured 
plates,  dating  from  1840.  The  plates  include  not 
only  the  uniforms  of  the  regular  Army,  but  also  the 
Indian  Army  and  the  Volunteer  Force.  This  is  a 
very  fine  collection. 

Cannon's  "  Historical  Records  of  the  British 
Army."  A  monumental  work  in  sixty-eight  volumes, 
but  the  coloured  plates  are  occasionally  found  loose. 
The  pictures  are  in  two  series :  {a)  Cavalry,  and  {b) 
Infantry ;  they  depict  regimental  dress  of  the  period 

1837-53. 

W.  Heath's  "Military  Costumes  of  the  British 
Cavalry."  A  set  of  sixteen  coloured  plates,  of  the 
year  1820. 

E.  Hull's  "  Costumes  of  the  British  Army  in 
1828."  Some  seventy  odd  lithographs  of  fairly 
pleasing  character.  They  appear  to  be  drawn 
with  complete  accuracy.  I 

"  Military  Costumes  of  Europe."  A  work  pub- 
lished in  two  volumes  in  1822.  Nearly  a  hundred 
coloured  plates  are  included,  about  a  quarter  of 
which  are  of  British  uniforms. 


MILITARY  PRINTS 


203 


Thomas  Rowlandson's  "  Loyal  Volunteers  of 
London  "  (1799).  A  most  interesting  work  full  of 
coloured  plates  showing  the  uniforms  of  the  non- 
regular  units  at  the  close  of  the  eighteenth  century. 
Students  of  military  dress  should  pay  special  atten- 
tion to  this  interesting  gallery  of  pictures. 

Lieutenant-Colonel  Luard's  "  History  of  the  Dress 
of  the  British  Soldier."  Fifty  uncoloured  and  not 
very  attractive  plates  (1852).  The  work  contains 
much  interesting  matter  in  the  letterpress,  however, 
and  the  plates,  though  plain,  are  useful  to  students 
of  military  dress. 

Ralph  Nevill's  "British  Military  Prints"  is  of 
recent  production.  {The  Con?ioisseur  Publishing 
Co.,  1909,  5s.).  This  work  contains  a  sumptuous 
array  of  coloured  and  uncoloured  reproductions  of 
old  prints,  many  of  which  are  far  more  attractive 
than  the  originals.  It  is  a  book  that  the  student 
should  undoubtedly  possess. 


So  far,  the  prints  of  which  we  have  spoken  have 
all  been  of  a  serious  nature,  but  the  period  under 
consideration  was  marked  by  the  rise  of  two  clever 
caricaturists,  named  Henry  Bunbury  and  James 
Gillray,  who  require  some  mention.  The  works  of 
these  two  artists  are  but  little  known,  in  spite  of  the 
fact  that  some  authorities  consider  them  equal  to 
any  of  the  satirical  efforts  of  the  famous  Hogarth. 
Bunbury  and  Gillray  are  of  interest  to  the  collector 
of  military  prints  because  many  of  their  pictures 
dealt  with  soldiers  and  soldiering.  We  cannot  claim 
that  the  detail  of  the  uniforms  which  figure  in  all 


204       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

the  pictures  of  these  two  artists  are  absolutely 
correct,  but  they  certainly  do  not  display  any  glaring 
errors  which  are  likely  to  mislead. 

Bunbury  was  a  friend  of  Sir  Joshua  Reynolds  and 
also  of  Hoppner,  he  thus  moved  in  the  artists'  circle 
of  the  day.  "During  the  time  he  was  living  in 
Suffolk,  he  was  prominently  associated  with  the 
County  Militia ;  and  no  doubt  it  was  at  this  period 
that  ideas  for  humorous  military  sketches  presented 
themselves.  'The  Militia  Meeting,'  'Recruits,'  and 
*  The  Deserter '  may  be  mentioned  among  these, 
while  a  story  is  told  in  connection  with  another 
sketch  that  is  characteristic  of  Bunbury's  readiness 
with  his  pencil.  A  young  private  of  his  regiment 
applied  for  a  pass  in  order  to  visit  the  lady  of  his 
affections.  The  application  having  come  before 
Mr.  Bunbury,  he  not  only  signed  the  pass,  but  drew 
a  comical  sketch  on  the  permit,  representing  the 
meeting  of  the  amorous  couple,  to  the  great  amuse- 
ment of  the  officers  to  whom  the  pass  was  presented. 

"  In  1778,  political  relations  between  England  and 
America  were  very  strained,  in  consequence  of  which 
militia  camps  were  formed  in  various  parts  of  the 
country.  Henry  Bunbury,  as  an  officer  of  the 
Suffolk  Militia,  was  ordered  to  join  his  camp  at 
Coxheath.  All  sorts  of  caricatures  from  all  sorts  of 
pencils  (most  of  them  anonymous)  satirize  the 
military  mania  of  the  time.  Naturally  Bunbury  was 
not  behind  the  rest,  and  many  sketches  of  a  military 
character,  evidently  drawn  by  him  at  this  time,  are 
still  in  existence.  Bunbury's  wonderful  talent  in 
making  these   sketches  of  a   martial    kind   appears 


MILITARY  PRINTS 


205 


I 


I 


have  been  recognized  at  the  time,  for  an  exhibi- 
tion of  his  military  drawings  was  organized  in  1788 
and  held  at  Somerset  House." ' 

Gillray,  the  second  artist  mentioned  above,  was 
the  son  of  a  soldier  who  fought  at  Fontenoy,  and 
thus  his  thoughts  were  constantly  turned  to  military 
subjects.  Though  his  satirical  drawings  dealt  with 
the  various  topics  of  the  day — his  works  were  pub- 
lished between  1777  and  181 5 — he  seems  to  have 
lost  no  opportunity  of  showing  his  spleen  for  the 
French,  and  Napoleon  in  particular.  We  have  a 
long  list  of  such  artistic  effusions  of  which  the 
following  may  be  mentioned  : 

1.  Fighting  for  the  Dunghill :  or  Jack  Tar  settling 
Citoyen  Francois. 

2.  Buonaparte,  hearing  of  Nelson's  victory,  swears 
by  his  sword  to  extirpate  the  English  from  off  the 
Earth. 

3.  General  result  of  Buonaparte's  attack  upon 
Ibrahim   Bey's  Rear  Guard. 

4.  Britannia  between  Death  and  the  Doctor. 

5.  The  Surrender  of  Ulm :  or  Buonaparte  and 
General  Mack  coming  to  a  right  understanding. 

6.  The  New  Dynasty :  or  the  little  Corsican 
gardener  planting  a  royal  pippin-tree. 

7.  Apotheosis  of  the  Corsican  Phoenix. 


In  the  foregoing,  we  have  merely  touched  upon 
the  subject  of  collecting  military  prints,  but  enough 
has  been  said  in  these  few  pages  to  show  that  this 

'   ilerberl  Ewart,  in  TAe  CoufUfisseur,  June  1903,  pp.  87-8. 


206       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 


branch  of  curio-hunting  is  full  of  fascination  and 
deep  interest  and  is  well  worth  the  attention,  not 
only  of  readers  who  possess  artistic  feeling,  but  of 
those  who  are  desirous  of  adding  to  their  store  of 
knowledge  concerning  the  military  dress  of  bygone 
periods. 


207 


XII 


MEMORIAL 
BRASSES  OF 
MILITARY 
INTEREST 


CHAPTER  XII 


MEMORIAL  BRASSES  OF    MILITARY  INTEREST 


Classes  of  military  brasses — Rubbings,  and  how  to  make  them — Floor 
brasses  :  their  characteristics—  Palimpsest  brasses — What  may  be 
learnt  from  brasses — Mural  tablets 


In  many  of  our  churches  and  public  buildings  are 
to  be  found  numerous  memorial  brasses  which 
possess  undoubted  interest  for  the  collector  of  mili- 
tary curios.  These  memorials  of  the  dead  largely 
fall  into  two  classes :  those  which  are  let  into  floors, 
and  those  which  are  fixed  to  walls.  The  former 
class,  as  a  rule,  are  of  some  antiquity,  are  memorials 
to  individuals  rather  than  to  groups  of  soldiers,  and 
are  to  be  found  almost  entirely  in  churches.  The 
latter  class  are  modern,  are  often  erected  to  a 
number  of  soldiers,  and  are  located  in  such  public 
buildings  as  town  halls  and  guild  halls  as  well  as 
churches.  The  floor  brasses,  as  a  rule,  are  flat  but 
often  deeply  engraved,  whilst  the  mural  tablets  are 
lightly  engraved  and  frequently  embellished  with  a 
sculptured  framework. 

To  obtain  facsimiles  of  memorial  brasses,  many 
collectors  take  "  rubbings  "  of  them,  much  after  the 
fashion  that  children  imitate  coins  by  superimposing 


ail 


212       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

a  sheet  of  paper  and  running  a  soft  pencil  over  the 
covered  surface. 

The  necessary  outfit  for  making  a  rubbing  con- 
sists, first  and  foremost,  of  a  permit  obtained  from 
the  proper  authorities,  a  supply  of  heel-ball,  as  sold 
by  any  leather  dealer  or  cobbler,  a  small  clothes 
brush,  a  duster,  and  some  paper.  The  latter  must 
not  be  too  flimsy  nor  too  stout,  and  it  must  be  large 
enough  to  cover  the  brass.  A  roll  of  light  grey  wall- 
paper usually  serves  admirably,  but  there  are  times 
when  the  width  of  the  roll  is  too  narrow  for  the  brass. 
In  these  cases,  a  full-size  sheet  of  paper  as  used  by 
printers  should  be  procured. 

The  first  operation  is  to  wipe  away  all  dust  and 
foreign  matter  from  the  metal  surface ;  this  is  a  very 
necessary  precaution  when  the  tablet  is  a  floor-inset. 
The  next  thing  is  to  place  the  sheet  of  paper  in 
position ;  if  the  memorial  is  fixed  to  the  wall,  the 
sheet  must  be  held  by  an  assistant,  or  at  the  expense 
of  much  arm-aching  by  the  person  who  does  the 
rubbing ;  if  the  tablet  is  let  into  the  floor,  two  weights 
placed  at  the  head  of  the  brass  serve  the  purpose 
admirably. 

The  actual  rubbing  should  be  performed  by  draw- 
ing the  heel-ball  lightly  across  the  brass.  The 
movement  should  always  be  made  in  the  same 
direction,  or  the  lines  will  appear  scratchy  and  con- 
fusing. It  is  best  to  complete  a  little  patch  first,  and 
not  go  over  the  whole  area  before  finishing  any  part 
of  it ;  if  this  be  done,  there  will  be  more  chance  of 
completing  the  work  without  shifting  the  paper.  It 
is  not  a  bad  idea  to  force  the  paper  by  means  of  the 


MEMORIAL  BRASSES  213 

palm  of  the  hand  into  the  recesses  of  the  brass 
before  commencing  to  rub;  this  will  help  to  keep  the 
sheet  ffom  moving. 

Some  collectors  make  their  rubbings  intensely  dark, 
that  is,  they  do  not  leave  off  when  the  brown  stage 
has  been  reached.  Others  are  content  to  stop  rub- 
bing when  the  detail  is  just  visible,  completing  the 
work  at  home  by  filling  all  the  flat  areas  with  a  wash 
of  Indian  ink.  Either  plan  is  good,  but  the  former  is 
more  useful  in  cases  where  the  tracery  is  involved, 
whilst  the  latter  provides  a  somewhat  smarter  effect 
when  carefully  executed. 

Rubbings  may  be  stored  in  cardboard  tubes,  one  in 
each  tube,  but  many  enthusiasts  mount  their  black 
pictures  on  canvas  and  rollers.  The  latter  plan  is 
certainly  the  better  one,  but  it  is  an  expensive  and 
tedious  business  which  will  not  appeal  to  all.  Small 
rubbings,  it  need  hardly  be  added,  make  capital 
pictures  for  framing,  looking  very  attractive  if  a 
white  margin  is  preserved,  and  the  frame  made  of  a 
narrow  black  moulding. 

Floor  brasses  were  first  used  on  the  Continent, 
many  originating  in  Flanders  and  some  in  Brittany. 
The  earliest  specimens  in  England  date  from  the 
thirteenth  century,  though  Beaumont  states  that  the 
finest  specimens  belong  to  the  fourteenth  century. 
He  also  mentions  that  the  fifteenth-century  specimens 
were  small,  thin,  and  more  ornate,  whilst  in  the 
sixteenth  century  the  art  became  debased  by  a 
surfeit  of  commonplace  specimens.  The  majority  of 
the    English    brasses    are    located    in    the    Eastern 


214       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

Counties  and  the  Home  Counties,  where,  in  fact,  stone 
was  not  easily  and  cheaply  obtained. 

The  most  curious  of  all  floor  brasses,  the  same 
writer  states,^  are  those  which  are  called  palimpsests. 
These  were  originally  laid  down  to  the  memory  of  a 
certain  individual,  but  were  subsequently  taken  up, 
re-engraved,  and  then  used  to  commemorate  some 
one  else.  Nearly  all  are  post-Reformation — a  fact 
which  speaks  for  itself. 

After  the  dissolution  of  the  monasteries,  the  abbeys 
fell  into  decay,  and  any  engraver  who  wanted  a  brass 
appears  to  have  taken  it  from  the  nearest  ruin  and 
adapted  it  to  his  requirements. 

Palimpsest  brasses  were  readapted  in  three  ways : — 

1 .  Plates  were  re-engraved  on  the  reverse  side. 

2.  The  old  figure  was  used  again  without  altera- 
tion, a  new  inscription  and  shield  (if  any)  being 
added. 

3.  The  original  engraving  was  modified,  fresh  lines 
and  shading  being  introduced  to  adapt  it  to  con- 
temporary fashion. 

One  of  the  finest  examples  of  this  latter  kind  of 
palimpsest  brasses  is  a  specimen  which  was  made  to 
honour  the  memory  of  Sir  Walter  and  Lady  Curson, 
at  Waterperry,  Oxon.  The  original  was  engraved  in 
1440,  but  subsequently  altered  to  suit  the  style  of 
armour  and  costume  which  prevailed  in  1527. 

Another  interesting  palimpsest  is  mentioned  by 
Fairbank.2  "  It  occurs  in  Ticehurst  Church,  Sussex. 
It  has   been    made   use   of  to   commemorate   John 

*  Beaumont,  in  "Memorial  Brasses,"  p.  140. 

*  F.  R.  Fairbank,  in  The  Cotmoisseur, 


MEMORIAL  BRASSES 


215 


THE  OLDEST  ENGLISH   BRASS. 

To  the  memor>'  of  Sir  John  D'Abernon. 
Date  1277.     At  Guildford,  Surrey. 


216       CHATS  ON  MILITARY   CURIOS 

Wyborne,  Esquire,  and  his  two  wives.  The  second 
wife,  his  widow,  made  her  will  in  1502,  and  she 
ordered  a  stone  to  be  placed  over  herself  and  her 
husband  ;  and  this  is  what  the  executors  did.  They 
took  a  small  slab  bearing  a  brass  figure  of  a  man  in 
armour,  which  had  been  engraved  about  1365  ;  there 
was  no  room  for  figures  of  the  two  wives  of  the  same 
size  as  the  figure  already  there,  so  they  had  a  small 
figure  placed  on  each  side,  little  larger  than  half  the 
size  of  the  central  one,  and  replaced  the  original 
inscription  by  one  commemorating  John  Wyborne, 
who  died  1490,  and  his  two  wives  ;  their  figures  were 
engraved  about  15 10." 

Brasses  are  of  great  educational  value  in  so  much 
as  many  reveal  interesting  points  in  connection  with 
matters  concerning  dress  and  armour.  But  the 
student  is  warned  against  putting  too  much  trust  in 
the  dates  which  they  bear,  for  specimens  were  often 
laid  down  before  the  death  of  the  person  whose 
memory  they  perpetuate.  The  date  of  death  and 
the  style  of  decoration  might  thus  be,  in  such  cases, 
at  variance  historically.     Beaumont  saysr^ — 

"  Examples  of  this  feature  are  to  be  found  at 
Thame,  Oxon,  and  Lambourne,  Berks.  This  is 
especially  noticeable  in  the  case  of  shroud  brasses, 
which  were  generally  engraved  and  fixed  during 
the  lifetime  of  the  person  commemorated,  the 
object  being  to  remind  him  of  his  final  bourne  ;  in 
these  cases  blank  spaces  were  usually  left  for  the 
insertion  of  the  date  of  death." 

'  "  Memorial  Brasses,"  p.  5. 


U4         V 


217 


MEMORIAL  BRASSES 


219 


II 


I 


The  earliest  English  brasses  were  shaped  around 
the  figures  they  portrayed,  and  if  canopies  or  frames 
were  added,  these  were  fitted  in  separate  pieces.  All 
foreign  brasses  and  later  English  ones,  however, 
were  cut  into  rectangular  pieces.  These  and  other 
such  indications  are  the  surest  guides  to  the  true 
date  of  construction. 

Among  the  thousands  of  brasses  in  this  country, 
many  of  which  are  of  military  interest,  the  following 
are  worthy  of  mention  : — 

1.  At  Felbrigge,  to  the  memory  of  Sir  Symon 
Ffelbrygge ;  date,  141 6.  He  is  dressed  in  plate 
armour,  and  holds  the  Royal  Standard.  His  garter 
is  prominently  shown.  A  canopy  surmounts  his 
figure. 

2.  At  Trumpington.  This  is  a  favourite  speci- 
men with  Cambridge  undergraduates. 

3.  At  Trotton,  Sussex,  to  the  memory  of  Thomas 
Camoys  and  Elizabeth,  his  consort ;  date,  1419. 
Camoys  achieved  fame  at  Agincourt ;  his  wife  was 
a  Mortimer.     A  canopy  surmounts  each  figure. 

4.  At  West  Hanney,  to  the  memory  of  Humfrie 
Cheynie ;  date,  1557.  This  brass  is  peculiar;  the 
figure,  which  is  small,  stands  on  a  metal  rectangle 
bearing  a  scriptural  text.  A  rectangular  metal 
frame  is  placed  around  the  figure,  but  at  some 
distance. 

5.  At  Ilminster,  to  the  memory  of  Nicholas 
and  Dorothy  Wadham  ;  date,  1609.  Nicholas  is 
given  a  ringed  cuirass  and  lamboys  over  his  mail 
skirt.      He  stands  upon    a    tablet   bearing    an   in- 


220       CHATS   ON   MILITARY   CURIOS 

scription  which  explains  that    he  was  the   founder 
of  Wadham  College,  Oxford. 

Of  later  mural  tablets  we  need  say  but  little, 
for  there  is  hardly  a  cathedral  or  parish  church  in 
the  kingdom  which  is  not  the  proud  possessor 
of  one  or  more  specimens.  As  a  rule,  these 
memorials  point  to  the  valorous  deeds  which 
soldiers  of  the  neighbourhood  have  performed  for 
their  King  and  country.  The  South  African  War, 
it  will  be  remembered,  added  considerably  to  their 
number,  whilst  the  conflict  now  raging  has  already 
made  its  contributions. 


XIII 

AUTOGRAPHS 
OF  GREAT 
SOLDIERS 


12 


CHAPTER   XIII 

AUTOGRAPHS  OF  GREAT  SOLDIERS 

The  fascinations  of  autograph  collecting — Points  which  influence  the 
value  of  an  autograph — Autographs  classified — A  "Schomberg" 
letter — The  notes  scribbled  by  Airey  at  Balaklava — General  hints 
— Prices  of  autographs 

Ninety-nine  out  of  every  hundred  autographs  which 
find  their  way  into  collectors'  albums  are  said  to 
be  those  of  actresses,  who  are  popular  favourites 
to-day  but  not  to-morrow.  As  a  consequence, 
autograph  collecting  is  seldom  considered  a  serious 
HI  hobby  worthy  of  the  attention  of  serious-minded 
people.  This  seems  a  great  pity,  for  if  letters 
and  documents  written  and  signed  by  real  cele- 
brities are  collected,  not  only  may  much  pleasure 
be  gained  from   the   pastime,   but   a  great   deal   of 

■^  instruction  as  well. 
f  The  wise  collector  will  find  that  his  best  plan  is  to 
specialize  in  one  definite  direction,  and  if  he  follows 
our  advice  he  will  limit  his  interests  to  autographs 
of  great  soldiers.  Perhaps  he  will  argue  that 
military  signatures  are  so  seldom  met  with,  and 
so  expensive  to  obtain  when  they  are  offered  for 
'  sale,   that   his    treasures   will    not    accumulate   fast 

HI     enough.     This,  however,   is   a  matter  on  which   he 


224       CHATS   ON  MILITARY   CURIOS 

need  have  no  fears,  especially  now  that  the  great 
European  conflict  has  created  so  vast  an  output  of 
military  correspondence. 

The  value  of  an  autograph  naturally  depends  on 
a  number  of  factors.  The  eminence  of  the  writer  is, 
of  course,  the  first  consideration,  but  the  price  will 
also  depend  on  whether  the  signature  is  normally 
written,  whether  it  was  written  before  notoriety 
came  to  the  writer,  and  the  state  of  preservation 
of  both  paper  and  ink.  Can  the  celebrity  be  con- 
sidered a  prolific  letter-writer  ?  This  is  another 
question  which  influences  the  value  of  an  autograph, 
for  according  to  the  rarity  of  an  individual's 
signatures,  so  will  the  price  be  affected. 

We  say,  above,  that  the  eminence  of  a  writer  is 
the  first  consideration  in  deciding  the  value  of  his 
signature.  We  should  be  very  diffident,  however,  at 
explaining  just  what  factors  make  for  eminence.  It 
certainly  is  not  rank  alone,  nor  even  ability ;  perhaps 
we  may  best  describe  it  as  being  in  the  "  public  eye." 

The  autograph-hunter  does  not  seek  for  signatures 
alone :  he  casts  around  for  entire  letters,  documents, 
and  signed  papers  of  every  description  ;  it  is  thus 
clear  that  the  importance  of  the  communication 
plus  the  autograph  should  be  taken  into  account 
when  pricing  treasures. 

For  the  sake  of  convenience,  we  may  classify  the 
specimens  in  our  collections  under  the  following 
heads : — 

I.  Signatures,  unaccompanied  by  other  written 
matter. 


AUTOGRAPHS   OF  GREAT  SOLDIERS    225 

"^MMaT,  f  i/(mA<^  ^/iJf^^it^ -faeces 
m^axwf^  U^L  i^irOlij  4/ki^  ^cJc)  ^i}  erf  j6^. 

-^/u/yiT^f^^-^M^  /otiyf^  Urn  fiJi^  -"-^^ 

FACSIMILE  OF  A  PORTION   OF  THE  LETTER  WRITTEN  BY  CROMWELL 

TO    LENTHALL,   SPEAKER  OF  THE  HOUSE  OF  COMMONS,  ANNOUNCING 

THE  VICTORY  OF  NASEBY. 

{From  the  original  in  the  British  Museum.) 


226       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 


2.  Signatures  appended  to  short  letters  or  docu- 
ments ;  the  body  of  the  matter  being  typed,  printed, 
or  written  by  a  private  secretary. 

3.  Signatures  appended  to  short  letters  or  docu- 
ments which  have  been  wholly  written  by  the  cele- 
brity in  question.  (Such  are  known  to  collectors  as 
Holographs.) 

4.  As  No.  3,  but  letters  or  documents  of  some 
length. 

Of  the  above  four  classes,  the  specimens  coming 
within  the  first  are  obviously  the  least  valuable, 
for  they  are  the  most  frequently  met.  Copies  may 
be  found  on  the  fly-leaves  of  books,  on  photographs 
of  celebrities,  etc.  The  second  class,  unfortunately, 
is  gradually  ousting  the  third  class,  since  the 
typewriter  is  speedily  becoming  universally  used 
for  all  but  private  letters.  Specimens  in  the 
second  class  are  worth  a  trifle  more  than  those  in 
the  first,  and  a  great  deal  less  than  those  of  the 
third.  Specimens  in  class  3  are  those  which 
the  average  collector  should  aim  most  at  securing ; 
those  in  class  4  are  a  trifle  too  unwieldy  for  all 
but  the  advanced  collector. 

There  are,  of  course,  many  ways  of  arranging 
an  autograph  collection,  but  on  no  account  should 
the  specimens  be  fixed  to  the  album  without 
adding  comments  on  both  the  subject-matter  of  the 
MS.  and  the  identity  of  the  author.  The  follow- 
ing letter  is  given  as  a  specimen.  The  original 
is  to  be  found  in  the  Royal  United  Service 
Museum : — 


n 


*»•.«.  ••-  •. 


A  BATTLEFIELD  SOUVENIR. 

The  mug  bears  two  verses  of  poetry  which  are  some- 
what significant,  as  they  reveal  the  character  of  the 
Tyrolese  peasant  and  soldier.  Translated,  they  run  as 
follows  : — 

Eagle,  Tyrolese  eagle, 
Why  are  you  so  red  ? 
Is  it  from  the  sunshine  ? 

Is  it  from  the  red  sparkling  wine? 

It  is  from  the  red  blood  of  my  enemies 

That  I  am  so  red. 


227 


AUTOGRAPHS   OF   GREAT  SOLDIERS     229 

"  LiSBURNE,  6th  March,  1689. 

Gentlemen, 

I  have  this  day  written  another  for  the 
Battering  Gunns  and  Morters  to  be  Sent  over 
hither.  But  now  having  the  Matter  under  further 
consideration  doe  think  it  Expedient  and  necessary 
for  their  Majesties  Service  to  send  an  Express 
herewith  And  it  is  to  direct  you  Immediately  on 
Receipt  hereof  to  cause  Eight  guns  of  Eighteen 
and  Twenty  Foure  Pounders  with  all  their  Equepage, 
Furniture  and  Stores  with  A  good  Proporcon  of 
Boms  to  be  Shipped  on  Board  a  very  good,  light 
and  Nimble  Saylor.  And  that  the  Capt.  or  Master 
be  Ordered  to  Sayle  with  them  directly  for  the 
Lough  of  Bellfast.  For  that  wee  cannot  undertake 
with  any  sort  of  Reasonable  Accomodacon  the  Siege 
of  the  Fort  of  Charlemount  untill  those  Gunns 
arrive  here.  And  with  worke  I  would  gladly  have 
furnished  before  his  Majesties  coming  hither  where- 
fore I  pray  use  all  Dilligence  and  Expedicon  in 
dispatching  away  thence  the  said  Shipps  so  Fraighted 
as  is  herein  afore  Expressed. 
H  I  am,  Gentlemen, 

^^^■jL  Your  very  loving  friend  and  servant, 

^^^Hf  SCHOMBERG." 

B  The  letter,  we  must  add,  is  written  in  a  splendidly 
clear  hand  by  a  clerk,  and  signed  by  Schomberg.  It 
therefore  belongs  to  class  2  above. 

Under  such  a  document,  we  might  comment  as 
follows :  Note  the  quaint  grammatical  forms,  also 
the  spelling  which   clearly  shows   that   orthography 


230       CHATS   ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

was  not  an  exact  science  two  hundred  odd  years 
ago.  The  use  of  capital  letters  is  also  curious. 
Lastly,  we  may  point  out  the  apparently  effeminate 
ending  given  to  the  letter. 

As  to  the  identity  of  Schomberg,  we  might  write : 
"Marshall  Schomberg  was  one  of  William  Ill's 
generals  who  took  part  in  the  Irish  campaign 
against  James  II.  He  captured  Carrickfergus, 
Belfast,  Newry,  and  Dundalk,  although  his  troops 
consisted  of  raw  levies.  During  the  Battle  of  the 
Boyne  he  assisted  William  in  gaining  a  brilliant 
victory,  but  was  unfortunately  slain  towards  the  end 
of  the  encounter." 

As  one  would  expect,  the  subject-matter  of  a 
letter  greatly  affects  its  value.  The  following  epistle, 
written  by  Lord  Dorchester,  is  therefore  of  more 
than  ordinary  consideration.^ 

"CULFORD,  Dec,  gih,  1803. 

Dear  Fox, 

I  was  only  in  town  for  four  days  and  besides 
the  hurry  which  always  attends  such  a  visit  to 
London,  I  was  under  the  necessity  of  going  to 
Court  on  Wednesday,  Thursday  and  Friday,  which 
put  it  out  of  my  power  to  call  on  you. 

From  the  contemptible  effort  of  the  insurrection 
itself  in  point  of  numbers  and  characters  of  persons 
concerned,  to  the  wish  of  which  no  importance  could 
have  been  attached  in  the  minds  of  the  public,  but 
for  the  unfortunate  murder  of  the  worthy  and  truly 

'  The  original  may  be  seen  in  the  Royal  United  Service  Museum. 


AUTOGRAPHS   OF  GREAT  SOLDIERS    231 


^ 


ai^ 


p^JLAJi^ 


i6   *v«     -»*v«. 


-j^ 


^J^^TK.-y^     ^     1  c/^p^-,    fi/O 


Translation. 

My  Dear  Brother, 

Not  being  allowed  to  die  among  my  troops,  it  only  remains 
for  me  to  place  my  sword  in  the  hands  of  your  Majesty. 

I  am  your  Majesty's  good  brother, 

Napoleon. 
Sedan,  Sept.  i,  1870. 


AUTOGRAPH  LETTER  WRITTEN  BY  NAPOLEON  III  TO  WILLIAM  I 
OF  GERMANY  AFTER  THE  BATTLE  OF  SEDAN. 


232       CHATS   ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

respectable  Lord ,  and  for  the  still  more  con- 
temptible preparation  of  arms,  or  plan  of  operations 
on  the  part  of  the  Rebels,  it  did  not  appear  to  me 
that  any  blame  could  be  attached  either  to  the  civil 
or  military  departments  of  the  Irish  Government 
for  not  having  taken  more  efficient  precautionary 
measures. 

From  the  documents  you  transmitted  to  me,  it 
is  clear  that  no  blame  can  be  imputed  to  you,  and 
from  my  intimate  knowledge  of  some  of  the  persons 
confidentially  employed  in  the  civil  line,  I  should 
with  difficulty  believe  any  charge  of  want  of  activity 
or  capacity  in  that  quarter. 

It  is  certainly  a  mark  of  weakness  in  a  govern- 
ment to  create  unnecessary  alarms,  and  it  has  the 
ill  effect  of  shaking  the  public  confidence.  In  this 
business,  however,  the  Irish  administration  appears 
rather  to  have  erred  on  the  other  side,  but  I  am 
persuaded  that  this  error  proceeded  from  a  recol- 
lection of  the  mischiefs  which  a  very  contrary  line 
of  conduct  had  produced  a  few  years  ago  in  that 
unfortunate  country. 

I  shall  send  your  papers  by  the  Coach  by  my 
Porter  in  Town,  and  direct  him  to  forward  them  to 
you. 

Believe  me,  with  great  regard, 
Dear  Fox, 

Most  Faithfully  Yours, 

CORNWALLIS." 

Of  still  greater  value  are  the  following  priceless 
notes,  scribbled  in  pencil  during  action,  by  Major- 


I 


AUTOGRAPHS  OF  GREAT  SOLDIERS    233 

General  Sir  Richard  Airey,  K.C.B.,  Q.M.G.,  and 
sent  to  the  Earl  of  Lucan  who  commanded  the 
cavalry  division  at  Balaklava,  October  25,  1854. 

"  {a)  Cavalry  to  take  ground  to  left  of  2nd  Line 
of  redouts  occupied  by  Turks. 

Rd.  Airey, 
Q.M.-Genr 

"(^)  Cavalry  to  advance  and  take  advantage  of 
any  opportunity  to  recover  heights.  They  will  be 
supported  by  Infantry  which  has  been  ordered  to 
advance  on  two  fronts. 

R.  Airey." 

"  {c)  Lord  Raglan  wishes  the  Cavalry  to  advance 
rapidly  to  the  front,  follow  the  enemy  and  try  to 
prevent  the  enemy  carrying  away  the  Guns.  Troop 
of  Horse  Artillery  may  accompany.  French  Cavalry 
is  on  your  left.     Immediate. 

R.  Airey."  ^ 

Before  concluding  these  notes  we  may  give  some 
general  hints. 

Preserve  all  fascimile  signatures  which  are  to  be 
found  ;  they  are  useful  for  purposes  of  comparison 
when  doubtful  originals  come  along. 

The  signature  should  never  be  cut  from  a  docu- 
ment ;  the  whole  sheets  should  be  preserved. 

An  original  letter  ought  not  to  be  pasted  on  to 

'  These  three  most  interesting  autograph  notes  are  also  to  be  seen  in 
the  Royal  United  Service  Museum. 


234       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

the  album.  It  is  far  better  to  fix  it  in  position  by 
slipping  it  under  "  ears  "  or  bands  of  paper  pasted 
to  the  pages. 

To  restore  a  faded  signature,  dab  it  carefully 
with  a  solution  of  hot  tincture  of  gall  containing  a 
trace  of  dissolved  potassium  chlorate.  When  dry, 
dab  it  with  a  pad  moistened  in  ordinary  lime  water. 
The  process  is  simple,  but  it  is  well  to  experiment 
on  a  useless  specimen  before  treating  valuable 
ones. 

Valuable  documents  which  are  torn  and  perhaps 
crumbling  may  be  prevented  from  deteriorating 
further  by  sandwiching  between  two  sheets  of  glass, 
and  binding  with  passe-partout  edging. 

In  deciding  whether  a  document  is  genuine  or 
not,  the  composition  of  the  ink  and  the  texture 
of  the  paper  should  be  taken  into  consideration. 
Forgers  find  great  difficulty  in  matching  papers 
made  more  than  fifty  years  ago. 

Great  care  should  be  used  to  discriminate  between 
the  autographs  of  people  possessing  similar  names 
(e.g.  Kitchener,  the  writer  on  cookery  matters,  must 
not  be  confounded  with  Kitchener,  the  soldier). 

Lastly,  it  may  be  useful  to  give  a  list  of  some 
of  the  prices  realized  by  military  and  allied  auto- 
graphs at  public  sales,  etc.,  in  order  that  the  col- 
lector may  gain  some  rough  idea  of  the  value  of 
his  treasures.  (A.L.S.  means  Autograph  letter, 
signed  ;  D.S.  means  Document,  signed  ;  L.S.  means 
Letter,  the  signature  only  of  which  is  in  the  hand- 
writing of  the  celebrity.) 


.UTOGRAPHS  OF  GREAT  SOLDIERS    235 


/ 


^  .  C/ffe7Z5^</7«^   A^^ 


William  of  Orange.  Earl  Roberts. 

Duke  of  Wellington.  King  Albert  of  Belgium. 

General  Wolfe.  General  Sir  Ralph  Abercromby. 

George  Washington. 

SOME  AUTOGRAPHS  OF  NOTED  SOLDIERS. 


236       CHATS   OiN^   MILITARY   (JUKIOS 

Abercroniby,  Sir  Ralph. — British  general ;  killed 
in  Egypt,  1801.  D.S.,  8s.  6d.  A.L.S.,  with  por- 
trait attached,  £2. 

Allen,  Capt,  Wm. — Of  the  Niger  Expedition.    A.L.S., 

25. 

Alva,   Ferd.   Alvarez,  Duke  of, — Spanish   General ; 

oppressed     the     Netherlands  ;      executed     the 

Counts  Egmont  and  Horn.     L.S.,  two  guineas. 
Amalfiy  Duke  of. — Imperial  marshal  commander-in- 
chief  after  Wallenstein.     Died,  1656.     L.S.,  14s. 
Anne,  Queen.— D.S.,  a  Privy  Council  Letter ;  signed 

also  by  Buckingham,  Schomberg,  and  nine  other 

peers,  los.  6d. 
Auchmuty,  Sir  Samuel. — English  general ;  died,  1822. 

D.S.,  4s. 
Barkstead,    Colonel  John. — Cromwell's   Governor   of 

the  Tower,  executed  1662.     D.S.,  lOs.  6d. 
Barrington,  Viscount. — Secretary  of  War  ;  died,  1793. 

A.L.S.,  3s.  6d. 
Beaver,  P.  Capt, — With  Nelson  at  Trafalgar.    A.L.S., 

Ss.  6d. 
Blucher, — The  famous  Prussian  field-marshal.     L.S., 

9s. 
Bonaparte,   C   Louis   Napoleon.  —  Emperor.     A.L.S., 

two  guineas. 
Burnaby,  Capt.  i^^^^.— Author  of  "  A  Ride  to  Khiva." 

A.L.S.,  3s.  6d. 
Charles  /.—King  of  England.     D.S.,  £2  los. 
Cromwell,  Oliver. — D.S.,  £g. 
Dorchester,  Lord  Guy  Carleton. — L.S.,  5s. 
Egmont  and  Horn,  Counts. — Executed  by  Duke  of 

Alva.     L.S.,  signed  by  both.     Sixteen  guineas. 


•        •  •  I 


•  •••••      "*•*» 


•  :r:i'< 


AN  OLD  MUG   BEARING  THP:   FAMOUS  PICTURE   DEPICTING  "THE 
DEATH  OF  WOLFE." 


287 


AUTOGRAPHS   OF  GREAT   SOLDIERS    239 


Gordon,  General. — Killed  in  the  Soudan.    A.L.S.,  two 

guineas. 
Kempenfelt,    Admiral.  —  Perished     in     the     Royal 

George.     D.S.,  one  guinea.' 

»  H.  T.  Scott,  ••  Autograph  Collecting,"  Part  iii. 


WAR  POSTAGE 
STAMPS 


13 


CHAPTER  XIV 


WAR  POSTAGE  STAMPS 


The  earliest  war  stamps — Stamps  used  in  the  Crimean  War — The 
British  Army  Post  Office  Corps — The  Sudan  Expedition — The 
South  African  Campaign — The  Great  War — Recent  war  stamps 
and  post-marks — Indian  war  stamps — Other  war  stamps 


Among  the  many  thousand  varieties  of  postage 
stamps  which  philateh'sts  treasure  few  can  compare 
in  point  of  interest  with  those  which  have  carried 
letters  from  the  firing  line  to  the  fireside.  Such 
specimens  are  sought  after  not  merely  by  the  stamp- 
collector,  but  by  the  general  collector  of  military 
curios. 

War  postage  stamps  date  back  to  the  middle  of 
the  sixteenth  century,  their  originator  being  a  certain 
Johann  von  Taxis  who,  a  few  years  before  the  death 
of  Martin  Luther,  obtained  permission  to  carry  letters 
from  civilians  in  Germany  to  members  of  a  German 
expeditionary  force  then  fighting  in  Italy.  The 
frank  marks  which  this  royal  prince  applied  to  the 
correspondence  entrusted  to  him,  constitute  the  first 
war  postage  stamps  of  which  we  have  any  record. 

Of  British  war  stamps,  probably  the  earliest 
specimens  are  those  which  came  to  England  on  the 

213 


244       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

letters  written  by  the  soldiers  who  fought  in  the 
Crimea.  Soon  after  the  British  army  was  landed  on 
the  shores  of  the  Black  Sea,  the  Government  sent  out 
eleven  postal  officials,  who  established  a  head  office 
at  Constantinople  and  branch  depots  at  Balaklava 
and  Scutari.  The  staff  was  properly  equipped  with 
all  the  necessary  impedimenta  for  maintaining  a 
postal  service  between  the  expeditionary  army  and 
the  people  at  home.  Letters  from  England  were 
received  and  transmitted  to  the  various  regimental 
headquarters ;  mails  for  the  Mother-country  were 
gathered  in  and  sent  on  their  journey  westwards, 
whilst  supplies  of  unused  adhesive  stamps  were 
retailed  to  the  soldiers  at  the  three  offices  mentioned 
above. 

The  stamps  which  the  officials  sold  comprised  the 
following  then  current  British  specimens  : — 

id.  red,  1841  issue,  no  perforations,  with  small 
crown  as  watermark. 

id.  reddish-brown,  1855  issue,  perforated,  with  large 
crown  as  watermark. 

2d.  blue,  1 841  issue,  no  perforations,  with  small 
crown  as  watermark. 

2d.  blue,  1855  issue,  perforated,  with  large  crown 
as  watermark. 

4d.  rose-carmine,  1856  issue,  with  large  garter  as 
watermark. 

6d.  lilac,  1854  issue,  with  embossed  head. 


Specimens  of  the  above  which  franked  the  corre- 
spondence of  members  of  the  Crimean  expeditionary 


A  soldier's  communication  posted  during  the  south 

AFRICAN  WAR. 


POST    CARD. 


^■• 


ia^rj  sy! 


/->  ^ 


;?.  .-C:X^. .  ,<<J;^7S<«. .  .<r^r 


A   SIMILAR   COMMUNICATION   FROM   "SOMEWHERE  IN   FRANCE." 
215 


WAR  POSTAGE  STAMPS 


247 


force  may  be  recognized  by  the  distinctive  oblitera- 
tion marks  which  were  as  follows  : — 

1.  A  crown  placed  between  two  stars  with  straight 
bars  above  and  below,  the  whole  forming  an  oval. 

2.  A  star  placed  between  the  cyphers ;    then   as 
No.  I. 

3.  A  circle  containing  the  inscription  "  Post  Office, 
British  Army,"  together  with  the  date. 


In  1882,  a  British  Army  Post  Office  Corps  was 
formed  by  Colonel  du  Plat  Taylor  for  service  under 
General  Wolseley  in  Egypt.  The  men  were  chosen 
from  the  old  24th  Middlesex,  a  regiment  better 
known  as  the  Post  Office  Volunteers.  The  party 
landed  at  Alexandria,  but  soon  proceeded  to  Ismailia 
where  a  base  was  established.  From  these  head- 
quarters a  number  of  field  offices  sprang  up,  but  their 
positions  altered  as  the  army  moved  forward.  There 
is  no  doubt  that  the  duties  performed  by  this  postal 
corps  gave  much  satisfaction,  both  to  the  troops  and 
the  authorities  at  home,  for  its  services  were  again 
requisitioned  when  the  Suakim  expedition  set  out 
under  the  leadership  of  Sir  Gerald  Graham. 

The  stock  of  stamps  taken  to  Egypt  consisted 
of  the  current  id.  lilac  and  2jd.  blue  of  England,  but 
those  used  during  the  expedition  were  obliterated  by 
a  hand  stamp  bearing  either  a  number  of  dots  shaped 
to  form  a  small  lozenge,  or  a  circle  containing  the 

Binscriotion  "  British  Army  Post  Office,  Egypt,"  and 
te.  Obliterations  bearing  dates  in  1885  belong 
Suakim  expedition. 


248       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

When  Kitchener  went  to  the  Sudan  in  1897,  the 
Egyptian  Government  set  up  a  postal  department 
at  Wadi  Haifa  Camp  for  the  special  use  of  the 
British  and  Egyptian  forces.  The  stamps  sold  on 
this  occasion  were  the  current  Egyptian  labels,  but 
they  were  overprinted  with  the  word  "Soudan" 
in  both  French  and  Arabic.  Unfortunately,  many 
forged  overprints  have  been  added  to  genuine 
Egyptian  stamps  of  the  higher  values,  so  that 
collectors  must  be  cautious  when  purchasing  speci- 
mens. 

Of  the  work  of  the  Army  Post  Office  Corps  in 
South  Africa  during  the  last  Boer  War  much 
interesting  matter  could  be  written.  Mr.  F.  J. 
Melville  gives  the  following  description  in  his  capital 
book  "The  Postage  Stamp  in  War"  (price  one 
shilling). 

"  Major  Sturgeon  was  succeeded  in  the  command 
of  the  Army  Postal  Corps  by  his  second  in  com- 
mand, Captain  Viall.  On  the  death  of  the  latter 
in  1890,  Captain  G.  W.  Treble  of  the  London 
Postal  Service  took  the  command,  which  he  held 
at  the  outbreak  of  the  South  African  War  in  1899, 
aided  by  Captain  W.  Price  (now  Colonel  W.  Price, 
C.M.G.,  in  command  of  the  Army  Post  Office  with 
the  British  Expeditionary  Force  in  France)  and 
Lieutenant  H.  M'Clintock,  these  latter  officers 
belonging  to  the  Secretary's  Office  of  the  G.P.O., 
London.  A  first  portion  of  the  company  with 
Captain  Treble  left  England  with  General  Buller 
and  his  staff,  and  the  rest  followed  on  October  21st, 
and  several  further  detachments  went  out  with  later 


WAR  POSTAGE  STAMPS  249 

contingents.  In  South  Africa  they  had  a  very  wide 
area  to  cover.  At  the  outset  Captain  Treble  estab- 
h'shed  himself  with  the  headquarters  of  the  Inspector- 
General  of  Communications  in  Cape  Colony,  and 
moved  about  keeping  in  close  touch  with  the  move- 
ments of  the  forces,  an  important  part  of  his  duties 
being  to  forward  to  the  various  offices  the  informa- 
tion necessary  to  ensure  the  correct  circulation  of 
the  mails.  Captain  Price  was  at  Cape  Town,  and 
Lieutenant  M'Clintock  at  Pietermaritzburg. 

"  The  British  military  mails  were  made  up  in  the 
London  G.P.O.  in  special  bags  addressed  to  the 
Army  Post  Office,  and  sent  to  the  G.P.O.  at  Cape 
Town,  in  which  building  the  detachment  of  the  Army 
Postal  Corps  under  Captain  Price  had  established  its 
base  office.  The  bags  containing  military  mails  were 
handed  over  to  the  Army  Base  Post  Office  at  Cape 
Town,  whence  they  were  distributed  to  the  various 
military  post  offices  established  at  the  centres  of  the 
troops,  and  to  field  post  offices  with  each  Brigade  or 
Division  in  the  field.  In  the  return  direction  the 
soldiers'  letters  were  handed  in  at  field  post  offices 
and  forwarded  through  various  channels,  sometimes 
ordinary  and  ofttimes  military,  to  the  base  at  Cape 
Town,  whence  they  were  dispatched  to  England  in 
the  ordinary  way." 

Early  in  1900,  the  average  weekly  mail  from 
London  to  the  Field  Forces  was  1 50  bags  of  letters, 
post-cards,  etc.,  and  60  boxes  of  parcels;  the  incoming 
mail  from  the  Field  Forces  was  1 1  bags  of  letters 
per  week.  In  a  letter  dated  from  Cape  Town, 
February  27th,  from  Lieutenant  Preece,  who  went 


250       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

out  with  reinforcements  for  the  Army  Post  Office 
Corps  in  February,  are  some  interesting  glimpses 
of  the  difficulties  of  the  work  of  this  service  : — 

"  Price,  of  the  Post  Office  Corps,  met  us  and  told 
us  (Captain)  Palmer  was  to  leave  at  once  for  Kim- 
berley  with  17  men,  (Captain)  Labouchere  and  (Lieu- 
tenant) Curtis  to  proceed  on  to  Natal  with  50  men, 
and  I  was  to  take  the  remainder  ashore  here  (Cape 
Town)  and  stop  to  help  at  the  base.  At  9.30  on 
Monday  morning  I  marched  off  with  my  57  men  to 
the  main  barracks,  and  bade  good-bye  to  the  good 
ship  Canada  and  her  merry  cargo.  After  lodging  the 
men  in  barracks  I  went  off  to  the  G.P.O.,  where  I 
found  Price  and  his  40  men  ensconced  in  one  huge 
wing,  overwhelmed  with  work,  and  at  breaking-down 
point.  The  mails  every  week  increase  now,  and  we 
have  250,000  pieces  of  mail  matter  to  sort  and  dis- 
tribute every  week,  over  a  country  larger  than  France, 
among  a  shifting  population  of  soldiers,  each  of  whom 
expects  to  get  his  letters  as  easily  as  he  gets  his 
rations.  It  is  a  vast  job,  and  we  have  done  wonder- 
fully so  far  with  a  totally  inadequate  staff." 

For  readers  who  require  further  details  of  the 
Army  Post  Office  arrangements  during  the  Boer 
War,  it  may  be  mentioned  that  the  contemporary 
reports  of  the  Postmaster-General  contain  very  full 
and  interesting  accounts.  Such  reports,  if  out  of 
print,  can  usually  be  perused  in  the  better-class 
public  libraries. 

The  stamps  which  franked  the  soldiers'  letters 
were  usually  of  the  British  lilac  penny  variety,  bear- 
ing the  familiar  head  of  Queen  Victoria,  whilst  the 


WAK  POSTAGE   STAMPS  251 

obliterations  were  circular  or  hexagonal,  and  con- 
tained the  inscription  "Army  Post  Office,  South 
Africa."  But  the  bulk  of  the  letters  reached  Eng- 
land with  no  adhesive  stamp,  the  words,  "  On  Active 
Service,  no  Stamps  Available,"  proving  a  sufficient 
passport  in  cases  where  supplies  were  genuinely  un- 
procurable. Envelopes  which  are  stampless,  but 
which  bear  one  or  other  of  the  South  African  field 
postmarks,  command  a  fair  value,  and  copies  should 
figure  in  every  collection  specially  devoted  to  war 
stamps. 

When  Bloemfontein  fell  into  the  hands  of  the 
British  the  stock  of  Orange  Free  State  adhesives  was 
overprinted  V.R.I,  and,  later  on,  E.R.I.,  and  when  the 
Union  Jack  was  unfurled  in  Pretoria  the  stamps  of 
the  South  African  Republic  were  provided  with 
similar  overprints.  All  these  labels  were  used  by  the 
civilians  as  well  as  the  military  authorities ;  and  as 
many  of  the  soldiers  posted  their  communications  in 
the  ordinary  letter-boxes,  it  is  impossible  to  decide 
which  possess  a  war  interest  and  which  do  not. 

Among  the  most  treasured  adhesives  provided  by 
the  South  African  War  are  the  "  Mafeking  Besieged" 
issues.  As  is  well  known,  certain  of  these  were  pro- 
duced by  a  photographic  process  and  revealed  the 
portrait  of  General  Baden-Powell.  Gibbons  urges 
collectors  to  be  wary  in  purchasing  copies,  as  nume- 
rous well-executed  forgeries  emanated  from  Kim- 
berley  and  Cape  Town,  and  many  officers  and  men 
returning  home  from  the  front  were  swindled  by  the 
dishonest  dealers. 

On  the  outbreak  of  the  European  War  in  August 


252       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 


SOME  HISTORIC   POST-MARKS   USED   ON   MILITARY  CORRESPONDENCE. 

I.  and  2.  Crimean  Postmarks.  6.    and   7.   South  African  War, 


3.  Napier's  Abyssian  Expedition, 

1867-8. 

4.  Egyptian  Campaign,  1885. 

5.  Dongola  Expedition. 


1899. 

8.  British  Army  in  France,  1914. 

9.  Canadian  ,,  ,, 
10.  Indian 


WAR  POSTAGE  STAMPS  253 

19 14,  the  Army  Post  Office  Corps  again  became 
active,  and  the  quantity  of  letters  and  parcels  which 
it  was  called  upon  to  handle  from  the  very  outset 
must  be  described  as  prodigious. 

It  is  quite  impossible  to  record  all  the  varieties  of 
British  military  stamps  and  post-marks  which  have 
resulted  from  these  hostilities,  but  they  may  be  classi- 
fied under  the  following  heads  : — 

1.  Stamps  of  the  United  Kingdom  bearing  post- 
marks indicating  use  in  France,  Belgium,  and  other 
foreign  countries. 

2.  Post-marks  of  the  Army  Post  Office  at  the  base 
or  in  the  field.     There  are  numerous  varieties. 

3.  Censor  marks  applied  to  envelopes,  etc. 

4.  Postmarks  applied  to  correspondence  from 
prisoners  of  war  and  aliens'  camps. 

Of  course,  many  interesting  colonial  varieties  have 
also  resulted  from  the  war.  The  following  are 
among  the  most  highly  prized : — 

1.  Gold  Coast  stamps  obliterated  with  post-marks 
from  Togoland. 

2.  German  colonials  from  Samoa  overprinted 
G.R.I. 

3.  New  Zealand  stamps  bearing  the  overprint 
"  Samoa." 

4.  German  colonials  from  Togo  overprinted 
"  Anglo-French  Occupation." 

5.  Canadian  stamps  obliterated  with  post-marks 
bearing  the  inscription  "Canadian  Overseas  Ex- 
peditionary Force." 


254       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

6.  Indian  stamps  overprinted  I.E.F.  (Indian  Ex- 
peditionary Force). 

Whilst  speaking  of  Indian  stamps,  it  may  be 
appropriate  to  mention  that  the  army  postal 
service  possessed  by  our  troops  in  this  Asiatic 
empire  is  probably  the  most  carefully  planned  in 
the  whole  world.  From  a  Field  Service  Manual ' 
on  "  Posts  and  Telegraphs  "  we  have  been  able  to 
glean  a  few  details  respecting  the  organization  and 
establishment  of  the  Indian  military  post  offices.  In 
times  of  peace,  a  stock  of  tents  and  equipment  suf- 
ficient for  the  supply  of  three  base  post  offices,  50 
first-class  field  post  offices,  10  second-class  field  post 
offices,  and  for  the  supervising  staff  is  kept  in  store 
at  Lahore  in  the  charge  of  the  Postal  Department  of 
the  Punjab. 

On  the  outbreak  of  war  the  military  postal  service 
is  organized  by  the  Director-General  of  Posts  and 
Telegraphs  in  India  according  to  the  requirements 
of  the  Army  authorities. 

The  supervising  staff  is  selected  by  him  from  a 
roll  of  European  volunteers  for  such  service  main- 
tained in  his  office,  the  full  war  establishment 
consisting  of  6  Directors  or  Deputy-Directors,  18 
Assistant-Directors,  24  Inspectors,  and  50  Post- 
masters. The  rest  of  the  establishment  is  selected 
by  the  Postmaster-General  of  the  Punjab. 

One  Director  or  Deputy- Director,  two  Assistant- 
Directors,  and  four  Inspectors  constitute  the  normal 
postal  personnel  of  an  Expeditionary  Force.     They 

^  Quoted  from  Stamp  Collectings  December  5,  19 14. 


WAR  POSTAGE  STAMPS  255 

wear  the  ordinary  field  service  uniform  of  the  Indian 
Army  according  to  their  respective  ranks,  distin- 
guished by  the  word  "  Post  "  on  the  shoulder-straps. 

The  following  extracts  from  the  Indian  Army 
Order,  No.  619,  dated  November  10,  191 3,  are  of 
interest : — 

"7.  The  Director  or  Deputy-Director,  or,  in  his 
absence,  the  Postmaster-General  under  whose  orders 
he  is  to  work,  should,  on  receipt  of  the  first  inti- 
mation that  a  force  is  to  be  mobilized,  take  the 
earliest  opportunity  to  consult  the  General  Officer 
appointed  to  command  the  force,  as  to  the  postal 
requirements  of  the  force  in  respect  of  the  number 
of  field  post  offices,  the  classes  of  postal  business 
to  be  undertaken,  the  establishment  to  be  provided, 
etc.  As  far  as  possible,  the  wishes  of  the  General 
Officer  commanding  should  be  carried  out. 

"23.  The  Director-General  will  arrange  that  the 
treasury  nearest  to  the  base  office  is  supplied  with 
about  ten  times  its  normal  supply  of  ordinary  postage 
stamps  (including  post-cards  and  envelopes)  together 
with  a  suitable  supply  of  service  stamps  (including 
post-cards  and  envelopes) ;  and  that  a  sufficient 
stock  is  maintained  throughout  the  campaign.  The 
base  post  office  should  thus  be  in  a  position  to 
supply  at  once  the  postage  stamps  required  in  the 
field  post  offices.  If  there  is  no  treasury  at  hand, 
a  sufficient  supply  of  postage  stamps  of  all  descrip- 
tions must  be  kept  at  the  base  post  office.  The 
base  post  office  will  be  supplied  with  an  iron  safe, 
or  two,  if  necessary. 

"  24.  The  requisite  stamps,  scales,  bags,  and  other 


256       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

articles  of  stock  sufficient  for  six  months'  require- 
ments will  be  furnished  to  the  base  post  office  for 
its  own  use,  and  for  distribution,  under  the  orders 
of  the  Director  or  Deputy-Director,  to  field  post 
offices.  Section  5  B  shows  the  books,  forms,  stamps, 
etc.,  required  for  field  post  offices.  All  books,  forms, 
and  articles  of  stock  should  be  packed  in  the  pre- 
scribed mule  trunks,  each  of  which,  when  packed, 
should  not  exceed  one  maund  in  weight.  The  books, 
forms,  and  stamps  required  by  the  base  post  office 
will  be  the  same  as  those  used  by  a  head  office  in 
India  performing  the  same  classes  of  business ;  but 
in  addition  to  the  ordinary  stamps  it  will  be  supplied 
with  a  special  *  Postage  cancelled '  stamp." 

Of  foreign  war  stamps,  the  international  quarrels 
of  the  last  fifty  years  have  produced  quite  an  inter- 
esting array.  Envelopes  posted  in  Paris  during 
the  siege  of  1870  bearing  the  words  "Par  Ballon 
Mont6  "  are  much  prized  by  collectors.  Less  sought 
after  are  the  Alsace  and  Lorraine  stamps  which  were 
primarily  issued  for  use  by  the  invading  German 
troops  of  1870.  Their  low  price  is  probably  due  to 
the  fact  that  the  dies  were  printed  from  long  after  the 
stamps  were  withdrawn  from  currency.  From  the 
Balkans  we,  of  course,  have  many  specimens  which 
enrich  our  collections.  Italy,  also,  has  given  us  war 
stamps  bearing  the  overprints  "  Bengasi "  and  "  Tripoli 
di  Barberia."  If  we  turn  to  the  United  States,  many 
interesting  postal  relics  will  be  discovered  of  the 
Civil  War,  whilst  numerous  varieties  of  more  recent 
stamps  from  the  States  are  to  be  found   showing 


NOTHIN( 
the  dii' 


IS  :\(:i(x< 


1  ,r<,./.,, 

'     /  have  receireJ  /; 

I      Letler  folhurs  nt 

I  have  received  v ' 
]  (laiely, 

I  for  a  loan  ^  ^ 

Signature  ] 
only.         l" 


Dete 


iPostAgo  njust  W  prejviia  on  aiiy  Wtt*-  or  postcar*!  addressed 
to  tlie  sender  of  '  ; 


A  POST-CARD  RECEIVED  FROM   A  SOLDIER   IN   FRANCE  BEARING 
STEREOTYPED  GREETINGS. 


267 


WAR  POSTAGE  STAMPS 


259 


I 


post-marks  referring  to  the  Spanish  war  in  the 
Philippines  and  Cuba.  Then  there  are  Japanese 
adhesives  which  were  used  in  China  during  the 
fighting  which  led  to  the  peace  of  Shimonoseki,  and, 
of  course,  the  Japanese  issues  which  the  troops  used 
whilst  engaging  the  Russians  must  not  be  over- 
looked. Lastly,  we  may  point  to  South  and  Central 
America,  a  continent  where  war  labels  are  almost 
as  plentiful  as  those  issued  in  times  of  peace. 

In  the  foregoing  notes  we  have  merely  indicated, 
in  a  general  way,  the  sources  from  which  war  stamps 
have  emanated.  SufiFicient,  however,  has  been  said 
to  show  that  these  relics  of  strife  and  bloodshed 
provide  material  for  the  collector  of  a  highly  fasci- 
nating character. 


XV 

WAR 
MONEY 


14 


CHAPTER  XV 

WAR  MONEY 

•"rench  obsidional  notes — Mafeking  notes — The  Napoleonic  assignats 
— Charles  II  and  University  plate — Mints  at  Carlisle,  Beeston, 
Scarborough,  Newark,  Colchester,  and  Pontefract — Irish  gun 
money 

Just  as  there  are  many  postage  stamps  which  owe 
their  origin  to  the  stern  necessities  of  war,  so  there 
are  a  great  number  of  coins,  tokens,  notes,  etc.,  which 
have  found  their  way  into  circulation  as  a  result  of 
the  belligerent  attitude  of  armies.  All  such  examples 
of  war  money  are  extremely  interesting  and  well 
worth  collecting. 

The  conflict  which  is  raging  at  the  time  of  writing 
has  already  produced  a  certain  amount  of  war  money, 
notably  in  the  northern  part  of  France.  In  this 
area  many  small  towns  and  villages  have  found 
themselves  despoiled  of  their  metal  currency,  with 
the  consequence  that  paper  money  has  been 
issued,  under  authority,  to  meet  the  temporary 
demands  of  the  outraged  inhabitants.  Among  the 
illustrations  of  this  book,  two  such  paper  notes, 
coming  from  Epernay,  are  included  ;  it  is  safe  to 
say  that  in  time  to  come  these  and  similar  issues 
will  be  much  sought  for. 


264       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

Another  interesting  case  of  paper  money  which 
owed  its  inception  to  the  needs  of  war  is  the 
Mafeking  currency,  issued  by  Baden-Powell  during 
the  famous  siege  by  the  Boers,  which  lasted  from 
October  13,  1899,  to  May  17, 1900.  The  face  value  of 
the  Mafeking  notes  was  £i^  los.,  3s.,  and  is.,  but  copies 
now  change  hands  at  considerably  enhanced  prices. 

The  issue  of  paper  money  is  no  new  idea ;  the 
French  resorted  to  the  practice  in  Napoleon's  time, 
as  they  had  also  done  during  the  life  of  the  Republic 
which  came  into  being  on  September  20,  1792.  This 
latter  body  issued  notes,  termed  "  assignats,"  of  five 
different  denominations,  ranging  in  value  from  about 
a  sovereign  to  forty  pounds.  The  assignats,  it  may 
be  stated,  were  dishonoured  by  the  succeeding 
Government,  and  people  who  held  them  lost  their 
money.  The  writer  possesses  a  few  specimens  which 
were  given  him,  many  years  ago,  by  an  old  French 
lady  whose  family  had  fallen  from  affluence  to 
humble  circumstances  solely  through  the  dishonour- 
ing of  these  paper  notes. 

But  the  most  interesting  war  currency  which  we 
have  so  far  discovered  is  the  obsidional  money  of  the 
Great  Rebellion  of  1642-9.  Historical  data  of  this 
period  is  too  well  known  to  need  repetition  here, 
and  it  is  sufficient  to  say  that  Charles,  after  he 
suffered  defeat  at  Naseby,  was  forced  to  withdraw 
his  troops  to  certain  castles  and  towns  throughout 
the  land.  From  these  strongholds  he  made  occa- 
sional sallies,  but  a  depleted  exchequer  always 
hampered  his  movements. 

In  order  to  obtain  sufficient  money  to  finance  the 


: •. :; 

»  *  •  • 


MONEY  OF  THE  GREAT  REBELLION,  1642-9. 

(i.   Newark    sixpence — 2.  Colchester    gold    half   unite— 3.   Pontefract    two- 
shilling  piece— 4.  Ormond  half-crown— 5.  Dublin  crown  of  Charles  I  Ij 

265 


WAR  MONEY 

Army,  Charles  begged  the  Universities  of  Oxford 
and  Cambridge  to  give  him  their  collections  of  plate, 
which  he  intended  to  melt  down  and  recast  as  silver 
currency.  "The  University  of  Oxford  and  the 
majority  of  its  colleges  sent  their  plate,  which 
was  safely  conveyed  to  the  King,  but  that  of  the 
University  of  Cambridge  was  not  sent,  although 
many  of  the  individual  colleges  contributed  theirs. 
The  treasures  of  St.  John's  and  Magdalen,  however, 
never  reached  their  destination,  but  were  seized  by 
Cromwell  whilst  in  transit  to  Nottingham."  ^  Charles 
had  many  wealthy  followers,  however,  and  these 
were  only  too  ready  to  help  on  the  cause  of  the 
Royalists  by  sacrificing  their  silver  ware. 

With  such  supplies  of  metal  the  King  was  able  to 
establish  mints  at  Carlisle,  Beeston  Castle,  Scar- 
borough, Lathom  House,  Newark,  Colchester,  and 
Pontefract.  The  money  supplied  by  these  mints 
was  used  for  paying  the  soldiers  and  buying 
material ;  it  was  also  more  or  less  honoured  in  the 
surrounding  villages. 

"  The  coins  were  usually  struck  upon  irregular 
pieces  of  plate,  cut  from  trenchers,  platters,  cups, 
etc.,  of  silver,  in  place  of  being  struck  upon  flans 
specially  prepared  by  melting  down  the  plate.  This 
is  only  what  one  would  expect,  under  the  trying 
circumstances  in  which  the  various  garrisons  found 
themselves  placed.  That  this  was  the  case  is  clearly 
proved  by  the  many  examples  existing,  upon  which 
traces  of  the  original  decoration  are  still  visible,  in 
some   instances    even,    particularly   upon    examples 

*  Dr.  Nelson,  "  Obsidional  Money  of  the  Great  Rebellion,"  p.  7. 


268       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

issued  at  Scarborough,  the  rim  of  the   dish   being 
still  to  be  seen  at  the  edge  of  the  piece.^ 

Dr.  Philip  Nelson  tells  us  that  about  Christmas- 
time, 1644,  the  inhabitants  of  Carlisle  were  asked  to 
take  their  silver  plate  to  the  mint,  situated  in  the 
town,  which  they  cheerfully  did.  The  quantity  of 
silver  plate  which  was  so  obtained  amounted  to 
1,162  oz.  It  was  made  up  of  the  following  items,  which 
possess  for  the  reader  of  to-day  both  a  pathetic  and 
an  amusing  interest.  The  item  of  "  Widdow 
Orpheur,  four  spoons,"  truly  a  case  of  the  widow's 
mite,  and  Sir  Henry  Fletcher's  tankard,  tumbler,  and 
wine  "  bowles  "  strike  us  as  being  particularly  worthy 
of  note. 


May  the  l-^th 
1645 


A  List  of  All  the  Plaite  Brought  in  to 

BE   COYNED   WITH   THE  WEIGHT  THEREOF. 


Will :  Atkinson.  Alder  one  Winde  Mill  Boule,  a  Trencher 
salt  &  three  spoones  wt 

Widdow  Craister  one  beare  boule  one  beaker  one  wine 
boule  and  six  spoones  wt 

Julien  Aglionby  one  Boule  wt  

Edmond  Kidd  2  Bowles  wt 

Thomas  Kidd  one  Boule  wt 

Will  :  Wilson  Tenner  one  Bowie  one  Beaker  wt 

Thomas  Lowrie  2  spoones  wt  

Robert  Sewell  one  spoone  wt  

Collnell  Kirkebride  one  bowle  4  spoones  wt 

Mary  Carlile  one  bowle  and  8  spoones  wt  ... 

Edward  Dalton  one  bowle  one  Tumbler  &  2  peeces  of 
broken  plate  wt... 

Mrs  Chambers  2  beare  boules  and  one  wine  boule 

Mr  Glaisters  3  beare  bowles  &  6  spoones  wt 

Widdow  Baines  Junior  one  bowle  2  spoones  wt 

Thomas  Jackson  one  bowle  &  2  spoones  wt 

Thomas  Monke  one  bowle  wt  


wt 


024 
008 

oiS 
007 
014 
002 
001 
013 
015 

022 
034 
034 
on 
007 

008 


oz. 

I 


Dr.  Nelson,  "Obsidional  Money  of  the  Great  Rebellion,"  p, 


WAR  MONEY 


269 


Josph  Jefferson  one  bo wle  wt  

Mr  Edward  Orpheur  one  bowle  4  spoons  wt 

John  Orbell  2  bowles  one  gilt  bowle  and  10  spoones  wt  ... 

Widdow  Orpheur  4  spoons  wt 

Mr  Edward  Fountaine  one  bowle  one  salt  and  2  spoones 

wt 

Mr  Richard  Wilson  i  gilt  bowle  wt... 

Thomas  Craggill  2  wine  bowles  and  3  silver  spoons  wt    ... 

Henry  Monke  one  beaker  4  spoons  wt        

Thomas  Tallentyre  one  bowle  4  spoones  wt 
Captaine  Aglionby  one  bowle  wt 

Sir  Thomas  Glemham  2  Candlesticks  wt 

Mr  George  Barwicke  one  bowle  6  spoones  wt 
Robert  James  one  bowle  wt  ... 

Isabeil  Holliday  one  sugardish  wt 

Sir  Henry  Fletcher  one  tankard  one  salt  i  tumbler  2  wine 

bowles  6  spoones  wt 
Capt  :  Cape  2  beare  bowles  2  gilt  salts  one  Colledge  pott 

one  Can  gilt  one  gilt  beaker  wt  ...         

Mr  Fredericke  Tonstall  one  dozen  J  of  plate  wt 

Mrs  Tullie  5  spoones  wt        ...         ...         ...         

John  Tomlinson  one  bowle  wt  

Edward  James  one  bowle  wt 

Sr  Will :  Dalston  one  greate  salt  one  lesser  salt  one  bowle 

8  spoones  wt       

Mr  Leo  :  Dykes  one  bowle  one  Tankard  6  spoones  wt     ... 

Mr  Lewis  West  i  bowle  wt 

Sr  Tho  :  Dacre  2  bowles  wt  ...         ...         

Capt  Johnson  one  Tankard  one  salt  wt       

The  Citties  plate  2  Flaggons  2  gilt  bowles  one  gilt  salt  2 

beare  bowles  wt 


Received  in  plate  1162  oz  -  J  -  |  at  5s  per  oz  Deliured  to 
Mr  Dykes  300ii  resting  in  or  hands  231!  -0-3 
stamped  out  of  1076  oz.  -  J  -  J  at  6s  per  oz  ... 

Gayned  by  Ccyning  at  6s  per  oz 

Lost  in  meltynge  and  working  


(Endorsed) 


010 

0 

0 

014 

i 

0 

040 

1 

0 

00s 

f 

0 

017 

i 

0 

008 

i 

0 

015 

0 

0 

on 

i 

0 

013 

i 

0 

010 

i 

h 

044 

1 

0 

017 

0 

J 

008 

1 

0 

on 

f 

0 

055 

1 

h 

089 

0 

0 

145 

0 

0 

006 

i 

0 

008 

0 

0 

008 

i 

h 

063 

i 

0 

030 

1 

0 

009 

f 

h 

019 

i 

0 

030 

0 

0 

233 

0 

0 

II62  ^  h 


323 

0 

3 

42 

8 

4 

21 

10 

0 

May  the  13th 
A  note  of 
plate  Coyned. 


645. 


270       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 


The  Carlisle  money  had  the  appearance  of  roughly 
made  coinage,  but  that  coming  from  the  Beeston 
mint  was  innocent  of  even  such  resemblance.  At  this 
mint,  thin  pieces  of  silver  were  cut  into  fragments, 
weighed  and  then  stamped  with  whatever  value 
tallied  with  the  weight.  Thus  we  find  not  only 
two-shilling  pieces,  shilling  pieces,  and  so  on,  but 
sevenpenny  pieces,  tenpenny  pieces,  and  pieces 
valued  at  thirteen-pence.  There  was,  we  may  add, 
but  one  face  to  all  these  coins. 

The  Beeston  money  did  not  bear  any  wording  to 
show  that  it  was  coined  at  this  castle,  but  simply 
bore  a  stamped  impression  of  the  castle  gateway. 

The  Scarborough  mint  was  no  better  equipped 
than  that  at  Beeston,  and  what  we  have  said  of  the 
latter  applies  also  to  the  former.  There  is  just  this 
to  be  mentioned  of  the  Scarborough  pieces :  "  The 
reverse  of  the  coins  is  blank,  save  for  the  few 
specimens  which  bear  engraved  upon  them  the 
words  OBS-SCARBOROUGH-1645,  which  engraving, 
however,  may  possibly  not  be  contemporary  with 
the  siege,  but  may  have  been  added  subsequently, 
as  a  memorial,  about  the  date  of  the  Restoration."  ^ 

The  Newark  money  was  much  better  fashioned. 
It  was  not  circular  nor  irregular,  but  lozenge-shaped. 
The  front  faces  usually  bore  the  royal  crown,  the 
letters  C.R.,  and  the  value  in  pence,  whilst  the  rear 
faces  showed  the  date  and  the  words  OBS-NEWARK. 
There  were  no  coins  for  odd  amounts  as  there  were 
at  Beeston. 

Colchester  turned  out  various  grades  of  money. 

*  Dr.  Nelson,  "  Obsidional  Money  of  the  Great  Rebellion,"  p.  18. 


;sCC:?>v, 


00 


k^?^  ^s  'V  ^''4      -^  -^' 


^<h:-. 


\v*^"-:''.";;r>, 


■^^s^ 


271 


WAR  MONEY 


273 


I 


The  gold  half-unite  was  circular  and  of  fairly  good 
workmanship,  but  the  silver  shilling  and  the  silver  nine- 
penny  piece  were  shaped  variously  and  poor  in  quality. 
The  best  coinage  of  all  came  from  Pontefract, 
where  the  siege  money  was  struck  not  only  for 
Charles  I  but  also  for  Charles  II.  The  designs 
were  all  enclosed  within  a  circle,  but  the  shape  of 
the  metal  was  circular,  lozenge-shaped,  and  hexa- 
gonal.    Both  faces  of  the  coins  were  ornamented. 

Other  siege  money  which  we  must  note  came  from 
Ireland,  and  grew  out  of  the  rebellion,  headed  by 
Phelim  O'Neill,  which  rose  in  1641,  when  some 
forty  thousand  men,  women,  and  children  were 
cruelly  massacred  by  the  Confederated  Catholics. 

This  self-constituted  body — followers  of  Charles — 
drew  up  many  decrees  :  we  need  mention  here  but 
one  : — 

"  It  is  this  day  ordered  by  this  assembly,  that  coin 
and  plate  shall  be  raised  and  established  in  this 
Kingdom,  according  to  the  rates  and  values  hereafter 
mentioned,  and  that  there  shall  be  forthwith  coined 
the  sum  of  four  thousand  pounds,  to  pass  currant 
in  and  through  this  Kingdom,  according  to  a 
proclamation." 

Accordingly,  special  coinage  was  struck  at  Kil- 
kenny, Bandon,  Kinsale,  Youghal,  and  Cork,  whilst 
Lord  Inchquin  and  the  Marquis  of  Ormond  minted 
money  which  was  popularly  named  after  them. 
The  Inchquin  coins  possess  no  claims  to  beauty  nor 
even  good  workmanship,  but  the  Ormond  money 
is  certainly  bold  in  design  and  fair  in  construction. 


274       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

Another  interesting  case  of  war  money  being 
coined  arose  out  of  the  appearance  of  James  II  in 
Ireland  during  the  early  part  of  the  year  1688. 
James  had  previously  issued  a  patent  for  minting 
money  to  Sir  John  Knox,  but  on  arriving  in  Ireland 
he  seized  the  latter's  coining  apparatus  and  set  up 
his  own  mints  in  Dublin  and  Limerick.  A  most 
interesting  proclamation  which  he  published  in  the 
year  1689  explained  the  measures  he  proposed  to 
adopt  for  debasing  the  coinage ;  we  give  it  in 
extenso  : — 

"  Whereas,  for  remedy  of  the  present  scarcity  of 
money  in  this  our  kingdom,  and  that  our  standing 
forces  may  be  the  better  paid  and  subsisted,  and 
that  our  subjects  of  this  realm  may  be  the  better 
enabled  to  pay  and  discharge  the  taxes,  excise, 
customs,  rents,  and  other  debts  and  duties,  which 
are  or  shall  be  hereafter  payable  to  us :  we  have 
ordered  a  certain  quantity  of  copper  and  brass 
money  to  be  coyned  to  pass  currant  in  this  our 
kingdom  during  our  pleasure,  in  six  penny  pieces  : 
each  piece  having  on  one  side  the  effigies  or  figure 
of  our  head,  with  this  inscription  round  Jacobus  II 
DEI  GRATIA,  and  upon  the  other  side,  the  stamp 
or  impression  of  cross-sceptres  and  a  crown  between 
J.R.  with  VI  above,  the  month  wherein  they  are 
coyned  below,  with  this  inscription  round,  MAG. 
BRIT.  FRAN.  &  HIBER.  REX.  1689,  and  fringed  round, 
each  of  the  said  pieces  to  be  of  the  metal  of  copper 
and  brass ;  all  which  pieces  of  money  we  have 
thought  fit,  by  the  advice  of  our  privy  council,  to 


WAR  MONEY 


275 


make  currant  money  within  this  our  kingdom.  We 
do  therefore  hereby  publish  and  declare,  by  the 
advice  aforesaid,  that  the  said  pieces  of  copper  and 
brass  coyned,  or  hereafter  to  be  coyned  by  our  said 
order  marked  and  stampt  as  aforesaid,  shall  pass 
during  our  pleasure,  as  currant  money  amongst  all 
our  subjects  within  our  realm,  and  in  all  payments 
to  be  made  either  to  us,  or  from  us,  or  to  or  from 
any  of  our  subjects  within  this  kingdom,  according 
to  the  rates  following  :  that  is  to  say,  each  of  the 
said  pieces  called  six  penny  pieces,  marked  and 
stamped  as  aforesaid,  to  pass  for  six  pence :  the  said 
pieces  to  pass  at  the  rates  aforesaid,  for  the  interest 
which  hereafter  shall  fall  due  for  such  mortgages 
and  debts  due  by  records,  bills,  bonds,  or  obligations, 
and  likewise  for  any  of  the  said  principal  debts  so 
secured  where  the  debtor  or  his  goods  are,  or  shall 
be  taken  in  execution  for  the  same,  and  we  do 
hereby  strictly  charge  and  command  all  and  every 
of  our  subjects  of  this  kingdome  to  take  and  receive 
in  all  payments  to  be  made  to  them  (excepting  as 
aforesaid)  the  said  pieces  of  money  according  to 
the  rates  aforesaid,  hereby  declaring  that  such  of 
our  subjects  within  this  kingdom  as  shall  refuse 
the  said  pieces  of  copper  and  brass  money  at  the 
rates  aforesaid  (excepting  as  aforesaid)  being 
tendered  to  them  for  payment,  shall  be  punished 
according  to  the  utmost  rigour  of  the  law,  as 
contemners  of  our  royal  prerogative  and  command. 
Provided  always,  that  this  our  proclamation  shall  not 
be  construed,  to  oblige  any  merchant  or  merchants, 
importing  any  goods   into  this  kingdom,  to  receive 


276       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

upon  the  first  sale  of  such  goods  so  imported,  any 
of  the  said  copper  or  brass  money  :  And  whereas 
we  have  caused  the  said  copper  and  brass  money 
to  be  made  currant  money  for  present  necessity,  and 
therefore  do  not  intend  that  the  same  shall  continue 
for  any  long  time.  We  do,  by  this  our  royal 
proclamation,  promise  and  engage  to  all  our  subjects 
here  that  as  soon  as  the  said  money  shall  be  decried 
and  made  null,  that  we  shall  thereupon  receive  from 
all  and  every  our  subjects  within  this  kingdom  such 
proportion  of  the  said  money  as  shall  be,  and  remain 
in  their  respective  hands  at  the  time  the  same  shall 
be  so  decried  and  made  null :  and  at  the  same  time 
either  allow  for  the  same  to  them  the  value  thereof, 
at  the  rates  aforesaid,  out  of  what  rent,  duties  or 
debts,  they  respectively  shall  owe  to  us,  or  to  make 
them  full  satisfaction  for  the  same  according  to  the 
rates  aforesaid,  in  gold  or  silver  of  the  currant  coyne 
of  this  kingdom.  Given  at  our  court,  at  Dublin- 
castle,  the  eighteenth  day  of  June,  1689,  and  in  the 

fifth  year  of  our  reign. 

By  the  King." 

A  certain  amount  of  trouble  was,  of  course,  ex- 
perienced by  the  King  in  obtaining  sufficient  supplies 
of  metal  to  meet  his  somewhat  rapacious  lust  for 
coining.  After  his  own  stores  were  exhausted  he 
cast  around  for  additional  supplies  and  the  following 
candid  letter  reveals  his  method  of  procedure  : — 


"  Our   will   and   pleasure    is,   that  you   forthwith 
deliver  to  the  commissioners  of  the  mint  those  two 


,    *    »   »»i 


•/C  •.'-.:.' 


^4^%a:5) 


^1/ 


ID 


CO 


277 


WAR  MONEY 


279 


brass  canons  now  lying  in  the  court  of  this  our  castle 
marked  etc.  weighing  etc.  and  for  soe  doeing  this 
shall  be  your  warrant.  Given  at  our  court  at  Dublin- 
castle,  this  eleventh  day  of  July,  1689,  and  in  the 
fifth  year  of  our  reign. 

To  our  trusty  and  wel-beloved 
cozen  and  counsellor  Justin  Lord 
Viscount  Mount  Cashel,  master  general 
of  our  ordnance." 


I 


This  second  letter,  dealing  with  the  same  matter, 
is  also  worthy  of  note  : — 

"  Sir, 

We  have  great  occasion  for  his  majesty's 
use  to  procure  as  much  hamered  or  forged  copper 
and  brass  as  your  parts  can  afford,  and  judging  by 
the  decay  of  trade  and  desolation  of  the  country, 
that  there  may  bee  a  great  deale  in  your  district  or 
port,  we  desire  you,  by  yourself  and  officers,  to 
inform  us  presently  what  quantity  you  may  bee 
able  to  furnish  us  with,  and  what  the  currant  prices 
are  of  each.  And  whatever  you  can  gett,  buy  at  the 
best  rates  you  can,  and  as  soon  as  you  have  four 
or  five  hundred  weight  pray  send  it  to  us  the 
commissioners  of  his  majesty's  mint,  at  the  mint- 
house  in  Capel-street,  Dublin,  and  what  you  pay 
shall  bee  allowed  you  in  your  accounts  at  the  custom 
house,  so  doing  you'll  oblige. 

Yours,  &c." 


third  letter,  which  we  give  below,  was  written 


280       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

by  one  of  the  King's  emissaries  who,  with  other 
trusty  servants,  was  sent  out  to  scour  the  country 
for  further  supplies  of  metal  suitable  for  coining  into 
gun-money. 

"  Limerick,  ^an.  the  ^ih,  1689. 

Sir, 

Last  Tuesday,  the  carriages  parted  from 
hence  with  six  thousand  six  hundred  weight  of  gunn 
mettle,  six  hundred  a  quarter  and  two  pounds  of  fine 
pewter,  and  a  thousand  weight  of  Steele,  they  will 
be  eleven  or  twelve  days  a  goeing  because  the  roads 
are  very  deep — The  pewter  cost  ten  pence  per  pound, 
and  Steele  six  pence.  You  may  expect  very  soone 
a  farther  supply  of  mettle  for  I  have  made  an 
agreement  with  two  eminent  dealers  from  Corke 
who  have  five  or  six  thousand  weight  of  copper  and 
brass  which  they  are  to  send  here.  I  must  have 
an  order  from  the  lords  of  the  treasury,  for  sending 
it  to  your  mint :  there  are  foure  or  five  broken  bells 
in  the  country,  which  I  can  have  if  you  send  an 
order  for  seizing  them  for  the  king's  use :  there  is 
an  useless  cannon  at  Gallway,  and  one  or  two  at 
Kingsaile  :  I  forgot  to  send  you  some  of  our  coyne 
as  you  desired,  by  the  next  occasion  I  will  not  faile. 
I  cannot  buy  fine  pewter  now  under  eleven  or 
twelve  pence  the  pound,  for  they  say  that  you  give 
fourteen  or  fifteen  pence  in  Dublin,  the  rates  for 
carriage  from  hence  to  Dublin  is  eight  shillings  the 
hundred  weight. 

I  rest  your  humble  servant, 

Wat  Plunkett. 
To  John  Trindar  Esq." 


WAR  MONEY 


Summing  up  James's  treatment  of  the  coinage  in 
Ireland,  Dr.  Nelson  says :  "  Such  a  debasement  of 
a  country's  coinage  as  we  have  seen  above  must 
ever  be  regarded  as  a  sign  of  national  weakness : 
also,  from  the  sense  of  insecurity  so  engendered,  it 
must  inevitably  bring  disaster  in  its  train,  and  such 
a  fate  overtook  the  cause  of  James  alike  in  Ireland 
and  in  England.  It  was  doubtless  the  intention  of 
King  James  to  redeem  his  gun-money  coins,  month 
by  month,  as  opportunity  permitted.  Circumstances, 
however,  decreed  otherwise,  as  after  the  Battle  of  the 
Boyne  he  departed  for  France  and  was  compelled 
to  leave  his  adherents  to  their  fate."  ^ 

With  the  advent  of  William  and  Mary,  the  gun- 
money  of  James  was  re-valued  at  rates  which  were 
practically  ruinous  to  those  who  held  any  but  small 
quantities  of  it.     The  proclamation  ran  as  follows  : — 

"  Having  taken  into  our  consideration  the  great 
oppressions  and  abuses  committed  by  our  enemies 
in  this  our  kingdom  of  Ireland,  by  coyning  and 
making  currant  brass  money  of  copper  or  mixt 
metal,  and  raising  the  value  thereof  to  an  extrava- 
gant height,  thereby  to  enable  them  to  continue  the 
war  against  us,  and  to  impoverish  our  loving  subjects 
in  our  said  kingdom  :  We  have  therefore  thought 
it  necessary  to  put  stop  thereto,  and  to  the  end  that 
such  part  of  the  said  copper  or  mix't  metal  money, 
which  remains  in  the  hands  of  our  said  subjects, 
may   not   be   wholly   lost,  we   have   thought   fit   to 

*  Dr.   Nelson,    *'  The  Coinage  of  Ireland  in    Copper,  Tin,    and 
Pewter,"  p.  24. 


282       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

reduce  the  former  value  of  the  said  copper  money, 
to  the  value  or  standard  of  the  like  copper  money 
formerly  currant  in  this  our  kingdom,  and  accord- 
ingly we  do  hereby  will  and  require  all  our  subjects, 
within  our  said  kingdom  of  Ireland,  to  take  and 
receive  all  such  copper  or  mix't  metal  money,  lately 
coined  in  the  mint  erected  in  our  city  of  Dublin,  at 
the  several  and  respective  valuations  following,  and 
that  the  same  do  pass  currant  in  exchange  of  money, 
and  for  all  manner  of  goods  and  provisions  whatso- 
ever, and  shall  be  received  by  all  the  officers  and 
collectors  of  our  customs,  excise,  or  other  branches 
of  our  revenue  accordingly,  viz. 

"  The  large  half-crown  of  copper  money,  together 
with  the  crown  pieces,  of  like  metal  and  weight, 
lately  stamp'd  shall  pass  at  one  penny  sterling. 

"  The  small  half-crown  of  copper,  lately  stamp'd 
shall  pass  at  three  farthings. 

"  The  large  copper  shilling  shall  pass  at  a  half- 
penny sterling. 

"  The  small  shilling,  lately  stamped,  and  sixpence, 
shall  pass  each  at  one  farthing. 

"And  our  will  and  pleasure  is,  that  all  such 
pewter  pence,  as  have  been  lately  coyned  in  the  said 
mint,  shall  pass  for  half-pence,  and  all  the  half-pence 
of  the  like  metal,  stamped  in  the  said  mint,  shall  pass 
currant  for  farthings. 

"  Which  several  sorts  of  coyn  shall  be  deemed  as 
currant  money  at  the  rates  before  mentioned,  in  all 
payments  whatsoever  within  this  our  kingdom. 
Given  at  our  camp  by  Dublin,  this  tenth  day  of  July, 
1690,  in  the  second  year  of  our  reign." 


S.' 


rjG  ;^i  13 


1  y/./.  .. 


(\r  cinqiasinic  soJs, 

/     ;t  /  blcr^aiL^  pot  Ann 


.^ 


PAPER    MONEY   OF   THE    IHENCH    KEPLBLIC,    I793. 


WAR  MONEY 


285 


In  the  limited  space  at  our  disposal,  we  have  not 
been  able  to  give  more  than  an  outline  sketch  of 
the  various  moneys  under  discussion.  The  student, 
however,  will  find  detailed  accounts  of  every  coin 
issued  during  the  Great  Rebellion,  and  later  by 
James  II  in  Ireland,  in  Dr.  Philip  Nelson's  two  most 
interesting  works,  (a)  "  The  Obsidional  Money  of  the 
Great  Rebellion,"  and  {d)  "  The  Copper  Coinage  of 
Ireland." 


15 


XVI 


CURIOS  MADE 
BY  PRISONERS 
OF  WAR 


CHAPTER   XVI 


CURIOS   MADE  BY  PRISONERS  OF  WAR 


Objects  recently  made  in  Holland — The  Napoleonic  prisoners  at 
Norman  Cross,  Perth,  Dartmoor,  Stapleton,  Liverpool,  and 
Greenland  ValleyAeld 


Ever  since  the  days  when  enemy  soldiers  and 
sailors  were  first  interned  for  protracted  periods 
of  time,  it  has  been  a  practice  for  the  incarcerated 
men  to  while  away  the  tedium  by  making  little  odds 
and  ends  of  things  as  souvenirs.  Their  wares  are 
often  of  extreme  interest,  as  they  help  us  to  gain 
some  idea  of  the  class  of  people  who  have  been 
interned  on  particular  occasions  and  the  ability 
and  skill  they  possessed. 

At  the  present  moment,  objects  of  no  little  interest 
are  gradually  finding  their  way  into  England,  which 
have  been  made  by  the  men  interned  in  Holland 
who  evacuated  Antwerp  after  its  fall,  and,  no  doubt, 
many  will  be  the  treasures  which  our  brave  soldiers 
will  bring  back  with  them  when  they  are  freed  from 
the  concentration  camps  in  Germany.  Needless 
to  say,  all  such  curios  will  be  valued  by  the  collector 
more  and  more  as  time  rolls  on. 


290       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 


In  the  present  chapter,  we  shall  confine  our 
remarks  to  the  handiwork  of  the  French  and  Spanish 
prisoners  captured  during  the  Napoleonic  wars, 
because  sufficient  of  it  has  been  preserved  to  engage 
the  attention  of  the  treasure-hunter.  One  word 
of  caution  is  necessary,  at  the  outset :  such  objects 
are  easily  counterfeited,  and,  on  this  account,  must 
only  be  bought  from  reputable  people  unless  docu- 
mentary proof  of  genuineness  is  forthcoming. 

The  Napoleonic  prisoners  were  quartered  in 
various  districts  of  England,  and  for  many  years 
on  end,  thus  our  statements  can  only  be  made 
generally. 

The  chief  settlement  was  at  Norman  Cross,  near 
Peterborough,  and,  though  the  huge  and  dingy 
buildings  which  served  as  prisons  no  longer  stand, 
the  place  is  marked  by  a  cross  which  was  un- 
veiled on  July  28,  1914.  The  craft  of  the  Peter- 
borough prisoners  ranked  high,  as  visitors  to  the 
local  museums  will  readily  acknowledge.  Their  wares 
were  chiefly  made  out  of  the  beef-bones  left  over 
from  their  rations.  The  writer  treasures  a  most 
exquisitely  made  set  of  dominoes  carved  from  bone 
and  ornamented  by  brush,  quill,  and  knife  which 
came  from  this  settlement.  A  photograph  of  the 
set  is  given  among  the  illustrations  of  the  present 
work,  but  the  delicate  tracery  and  the  coloured 
panels  of  the  box  have  lost  much  of  their  charm 
in  the  process  of  reproduction.  There  is  nothing 
unfinished  about  the  dominoes  ;  each  is  perfectly 
squared  and  the  dots  are  scooped  out  and  coloured 
with  black  enamel.     When  one  remembers  that  the 


Vl  LLE    D  EpERN  ay 


50  Centimes 


^^ 


OBSIDIONAL  HALF-FRANC  NOTE  OF  EPERNAY. 


ViLLE 

D  EpERN AY 

.                         — ^ 

1^  UN 

FRANC  ^H 

1 

OBSIDIONAL  FRANC  NOTE  OF  EPERNAY. 
291 


CURIOS  MADE   BY  WAR  PRISONERS    293 

tools  at  the  disposal  of  the  workers  were  few  and 
primitive,  their  productions  must  be  accepted  as 
truly  marvellous.  Another  example  of  the  work  of 
these  men  which  is  worth  mentioning  is  to  be  seen 
in  the  Peterborough  Museum ;  it  consists  of  a 
miniature  bone  or  perhaps  ivory  guillotine,  perfect 
in  every  detail. 

Perhaps  it  will  be  well  to  mention  that  the 
inhabitants  of  Peterborough  displayed  much  interest 
in  the  Frenchmen's  art,  and  a  regular  market  was 
held  daily  within  the  prison  walls  from  ten  to  mid- 
day, whilst  history  records  that  as  much  as  two 
hundred  pounds  was  given  in  a  week  for  these 
curios. 

At  Perth,  another  of  the  concentration  centres, 
the  products  of  the  prisoners  consisted  of  carved 
boxes,  wooden  and  bone  puzzles,  toys  and  straw- 
plait  goods.  Indeed,  the  skill  which  the  men  dis- 
played in  this  latter  class  of  production  was  so  high 
that  it  outclassed  all  local  work  of  a  similar  nature. 
From  straw  which  was  dipped  in  various  coloured 
dyes  these  clever  workmen  made  tableaux  of  a 
most  gorgeous  nature  and  framed  them  with  carefully 
shaped  pieces  of  wood.  They  also  dug  up  the  clay 
in  the  courtyards  and  modelled  it  into  little  statuettes 
of  sailors,  soldiers,  and  people  of  notoriety,  whilst 
they  cut  pieces  from  their  clothes  and  worked  them 
into  ornamental  slippers. 

Their  ingenuity  did  not  stop  here,  for  they  forged 
bank-notes  to  while  away  their  tedious  hours,  and 
foisted  them  on  to  those  who  came  to  the  prison 
market.      In    this    matter   the    following   quotation 


294       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

from  the  Perth  Courier  of  September  19,  18 13,  is 
interesting  :  ^ — 

"  We  are  sorry  to  learn  that  the  forgery  of  notes 
of  various  banks  is  carried  on  by  prisoners  at  the 
Depot,  and  that  they  find  means  to  throw  them  into 
circulation  by  the  assistance  of  profligate  people 
who  frequent  the  market.  The  eagerness  of  the 
prisoners  to  obtain  cash  is  very  great,  and  as  they 
retain  all  they  procure  they  have  drained  the  place 
almost  entirely  of  silver,  so  that  it  has  become  a 
matter  of  difficulty  to  get  change  of  a  note. 

"Last  week  a  woman  coming  from  the  Market 
at  the  Depot  was  searched  by  an  order  of  Captain 
Moriarty,  when  there  was  found  about  her  person 
pieces  of  base  money  in  imitation  of  Bank  tokens 
(of  which  the  prisoners  are  suspected  to  have  been 
the  fabricators),  to  the  amount  of  ^5  17s.  After 
undergoing  examination,  the  woman  was  committed 
to  gaol." 

The  Perth  prisoners  earned  for  themselves  a  very 
bad  name,  for  not  only  did  they  counterfeit  bank- 
notes, copies  of  which  are  still  to  be  found  by 
collectors,  but  they  fell  to  all  sorts  of  dishonest 
practices.  A  favourite  ruse  of  theirs  was  to 
bargain  with  a  customer  and  then  offer  to  wrap 
up  the  goods  which  were  about  to  change  hands. 
The  wrapping-up  process  was  completed  out  of 
the  unwary  purchaser's  view,  but  instead  of  enclos- 
ing the  curio  they  included  a  lump  of  clay  or 
piece  of  wood  of  similar  shape.  If  the  customer 
came  back  to  complain,  the  seller  was  seldom  found, 

*  Here  quoted  from  Abell,  '*  Prisoners  of  War  in  Britain." 


CURIOS  MADE   BY  WAR  PRISONERS    295 


and  even  when  he  was  discovered  it  took  a  deal  of 
threatening  and  verbal  eloquence  to  obtain  redress 
from  the  defaulter,  whose  one  security  was  the  iron 
railings  which  separated  him  from  the  outside 
world. 

The  prisoners  at  Dartmoor  also  made  knick- 
knacks,  but  the  Governor  here  forbade  the  sale  of 
woollen  mittens,  gloves,  straw  hats  or  bonnets, 
plaited  straw,  shoes,  and  articles  made  out  of  prison 
stores. 

At  Stapleton,  outside  Bristol,  the  bootmakers  of 
the  neighbourhood  complained  of  the  sale  of  shoes 
in  the  prison  market.  The  prison-made  article,  how- 
ever, was  usually  more  a  thing  of  ornamentation  than 
of  use,  and  so  the  bootmakers'  complaint  seems 
somewhat  unwarranted. 

At  Liverpool,  the  Frenchmen  made  trinkets, 
crucifixes,  card-boxes,  toys,  snuff-boxes,  horsehair 
rings,  and  hair  watch-chains,  using  their  own  hair 
in  the  manufacture  of  the  two  latter  articles. 

At  the  Greenland  Valleyfield  prison,  the  making 
of  straw  into  strawplait  was  for  a  while  a  profitable 
pastime,  as  the  following  passage  shows  :  ^ — 

"  The  employer  gave  out  the  straw  and  paid  for  the 
worked  article,  three  sous  per '  brasse,'  a  little  under  six 
feet.  Some  men  could  make  twelve  '  brasses  '  a  day. 
Beaudoin  (a  sergeant-major  of  the  31st  Line  Regi- 
ment) set  to  work  at  it,  and  in  the  course  of  a  couple 
of  months  became  an  adept.  After  four  years  came 
the  remonstrance  of  the  country  people  that  this 
underpaid  labour  by  untaxed  men  was  doing  infinite 
•  Abell,  •*  Prisoners  of  War  in  Britain,"  p.  203. 


296       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

injury  to  them ;  the  Government  prohibited  the 
manufacture  and  much  misery  among  the  prisoners 
resulted.  From  this  prohibition  resulted  the  outside 
practice  of  smuggling  straw  into  the  prison  and  sell- 
ing it  later  as  the  manufactured  article  ;  and  a  very 
profitable  industry  it  must  have  been,  for  we  find 
that,  during  the  trial  of  Matthew  Wingrave  in  1813, 
for  engaging  in  the  strawplait  trade  with  the 
prisoners  at  Valleyfield,  it  came  out  that  Wingrave, 
who  was  an  extensive  dealer  in  the  article,  had 
actually  moved  up  there  from  Bedfordshire  on  pur- 
pose to  carry  on  the  trade  and  had  bought  cornfields 
for  the  purpose." 

Thus  it  is  clear  that  the  curios  made  by  prisoners 
of  war  embrace  a  wide  range  of  interesting  objects, 
and  that  there  is  much  fascination  to  be  had  in 
collecting  them.  The  reader  who  would  know  more 
of  the  lives,  the  romances,  and  the  sufferings  of 
these  unfortunate  men  should  read  Francis  Abell's 
capital  book  bearing  the  title  "Prisoners  of  War  in 
Britain." 


•  .•.-.» 


A    NKWSl'AI'KR    POSTER   WHICH   TOLD   OF   WELCOME    NEW: 


3  it-^ 


H5^~^^33S~^-2S:: 


A  SET  OF  lloNE  I )» i.M  IN(  »K,^  CAKVl.l)  i;V  I'KISONKK'S  TAKEN  IN  THE 
NAPOLEONIC  WARS  AND  INTERNED  IN  THE  NEIGHBOURHOOI> 
OF   PETERBOROUGH. 

297 


t 


XVII 


MISCELLANEOUS 

MILITARY 

CURIOS 


1 


I 


CHAPTER   XVII 

MISCELLANEOUS  MILITARY    CURIOS 

Considerations  respecting  miscellaneous  curios — Battlefield  souvenirs — 
Regimental  colours — Odds  and  ends  of  dress  equipment — Books 
and  newspapers  of  military  interest — Royal  souvenirs — Official 
military  documents — Gruesome  relics — Relics  of  the  Great  War 

Among  the  most  acceptable  military  curios  are  those 
which  may  be  classed  as  miscellaneous ;  they  range 
from  fragments  of  "  Black  Marias  "  to  chocolate  tins, 
and  Prussian  helmets  to  early  copies  of  the  Army 
List.  Treasures  which  come  under  this  head  are  to 
be  found  at  almost  every  turn — in  sale-rooms,  in  the 
shop  windows  of  second-hand  dealers,  in  cottages 
and  mansions,  in  local  museums — almost  everywhere, 
in  fact. 

Curiously  enough,  the  military  treasures  which 
may  be  described  as  miscellaneous  are  usually  to  be 
picked  up  very  cheaply,  for  there  is  a  much  smaller 
demand  for  them  than  there  is  for  such  groups  of 
things  as  medals,  firearms,  and  armour  and,  of 
course,  the  price  is  regulated  by  the  demand. 

There  is  one  axiom  which  must  be  always  kept  in 
view  when  purchasing  odd  military  curios.  It  is  not 
sufficient  to  know,  in  our  own  minds,  that  a  certain 

301 


302       CHATS  ON  MILITARY   CURIOS 

article  is  genuine  ;  we  must  know  enough  to  be  able 
to  prove  the  fact  to  other  collectors  or  else  the  "sell- 
ing-price "  value  of  the  treasure  will  be  little  more 
than  nothing.  Of  course,  with  such  things  as  medals, 
autographs,  weapons,  etc.,  it  is  merely  the  work  of  an 
expert  to  say  whether  a  certain  specimen  is  genuine 
or  not,  but  no  amount  of  careful  examination  can 
ever  decide  the  authenticity  of  a  certain  souvenir 
said  to  belong,  perhaps,  to  Wellington,  or  the 
genuineness  of  a  shot  which  was  supposed  to  have 
caused  the  death  of  such  and  such  a  great  soldier. 
Relics  of  this  nature  must  be  backed  with  good 
documentary  evidence  or  their  value  can  be  but 
trifling.  A  case  in  point  may  be  given  by  way  of 
an  example  : — 

A  soldier  recently  showed  the  writer  a  pocket- 
knife,  bearing  the  coat-of-arms  of  Cologne,  which 
he  picked  up  on  the  battlefield  of  Ypres.  The 
soldier  naturally  valued  the  knife  for  its  associations, 
but  as  a  military  curio  its  worth  was  no  more  than 
that  of  a  second-hand,  much  used,  pocket-knife  since 
he  could  in  no  way  prove  how  he  found  it. 


For  the  sake  of  method,  we  have  grouped  the 
miscellaneous  curios  with  which  we  shall  deal  under 
certain  heads,  the  first  of  which  is  "  Battlefield 
Souvenirs." 

These  trophies  of  war  are,  of  course,  full  of 
interest;  the  present  conflict  has  given  us  a  good 
many  specimens  such  as  Prussian  helmets,  German 
infantry  caps,  and  shells  of  various  calibre.  They 
should  all  be  highly  prized  as  long  as  they  are  in 


ISCELLANEOUS  MILITARY  CURIOS    303 


good  condition  and  their  identity  can  be  estab- 
lished. 

There  are  many  interesting  battlefield  souvenirs  to 
be  seen  in  the  Royal  United  Service  Museum.  One 
is  the  railway-station  board  from  Tel-el-Kebir,  which 
stood  in  the  midst  of  the  fighting  on  September  13, 
1882,  when  the  British,  17,000  strong,  attacked  and 
stormed  Arabi's  entrenchments  defended  by  22,000 
Egyptians. 

Another  is  a  leaden  ball  found  on  the  spot  where 
Major-General  James  Wolfe  received  his  mortal 
wound  on  the  Plains  of  Abraham  at  the  taking  of 
Quebec,  1759. 

A  third  souvenir  is  a  grape  shot  found  on  an  em- 
bankment on  the  Island  of  Capri,  and  believed  to 
have  been  one  of  those  used  by  the  French  in  the 
siege  of  the  island.  Capri,  it  may  be  said,  was  held 
by  the  British  under  Sir  Hudson  Lowe  from  1806  to 
1808.  In  the  latter  year.  King  Murat  of  Naples  sent 
a  force  of  French  troops,  under  General  Lemarque,  to 
besiege  the  island,  and  took  it  after  thirteen  days'  siege. 

Yet  another  souvenir  which  may  be  described  as 
from  the  battlefield  is  an  officer's  memorandum  book. 
Captain  F.  W.  Lyons,  of  the  South  Staffordshire 
Regiment,  had  this  book  in  his  breast-pocket  whilst 
attacking  the  stockade  on  the  Tumbiling  River,  in 
Penang,  in  1904,  when  it  was  struck  by  a  bullet  with 
no  worse  result  to  Captain  Lyons  than  a  severe 
bruise  on  the  chest. 

A  fifth  exhibit  is  a  piece  of  the  gate  of  Hougo- 
mont,   which   was   riddled    with   bullets   during   the 


hting  at  Waterloo. 


304       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

The  last  to  be  mentioned  here  is  a  gun  used  in 
Mafeking  during  the  siege.  This  gun,  so  the  descrip- 
tion added  to  the  exhibit  runs,  was  made  in  the  rail- 
way workshops  at  Mafeking  during  the  siege.  The 
core  is  a  steel  steam-pipe,  round  which  were  lapped 
bars  of  iron,  which  were  hammered  and  turned  into 
their  present  condition.  The  trunnions  and  breech 
are  castings  of  brass.  For  the  castings,  a  blast  furnace 
was  improvised  out  of  an  iron  water-tank  lined  with 
fire-bricks,  the  draught  being  forced  through  the 
pipe  of  a  vacuum  brake  off  a  railway  carriage. 

The  shells  of  the  gun  were  similarly  cast,  and  were 
loaded  with  powder,  and  exploded  by  a  slow  match 
which  was  ignited  by  the  flame  of  the  discharge. 
The  powder  was  also  manufactured  in  Mafeking. 

On  one  occasion  the  breech  blew  out,  and  was 
repaired  and  fixed  with  the  stout  iron  holding-bands 
which  may  be  seen  connecting  the  breech  to  the 
trunnion-block.  The  gun  was  nicknamed  "The 
Wolf"  after  Colonel  Baden-Powell,  whose  nickname 
this  was  among  the  people  of  the  North. 

Regimental  Colours. — Under  this  heading  a  number 
of  most  interesting  relics  of  the  battlefield  may  be 
grouped.  It  is  true  that  specimens  are  never  avail- 
able for  the  private  collector  of  military  curios,  but 
as  most  cathedrals  and  many  museums  possess 
examples,  we  cannot  pass  them  over  without  some 
mention. 

The  Royal  United  Service  Museum  houses  a  score 
or  more  of  these  trophies  of  war,  but  probably  the 
most  attractive  are  the  following : — 

I.  Drapeau  du  52®  Regiment,  formerly  Le   Regi- 


MISCELLANEOUS  MILITARY  CURIOS    305 


ment  la  F^re,  formed  in  1654,  taken  at  Bastia,  1794. 
It  is  one  of  the  earliest  French  colours  known  to  be 
in  existence.  It  is  white,  with  a  tri-colour  of  blue, 
white,  and  red  in  the  upper  canton,  showing  that  it 
belonged  to  the  ist  Battalion.  It  has  also  a  tri-colour 
border  of  blue,  white,  and  red  on  either  of  the  three 
edges. 

2.  Drapeau  des  Volontaires  du  D^partement  de  la 
Corse,  1 791-4.  Also  taken  at  Bastia  in  1794.  It  is 
a  tri-colour  of  blue,  white,  and  red,  the  blue  being  on 
the  top,  and  then  the  colours  white  and  red.  On  the 
one  side,  within  a  wreath,  are  the  words  "Viver, 
Liber.  I.  O.  Morire,"  in  gold,  evidently  the  Corsican 
patois  for  "  Je  meurs  pour  vivre  libre,"  and  on  the 
reverse  ''  Republica  Francese." 

3.  A  guidon  of  the  62nd  Regiment,  181 2,  taken  in 
Wellington's  victory  over  the  French  at  Salamanca. 
It  was  brought  home  and  laid  at  the  feet  of  His 
Royal  Highness  the  Prince  Regent  by  Captain  Lord 
Clinton,  i6th  Light  Dragoons,  Aide-de-camp  to  the 
Earl  of  Wellington. 

4.  A  quartette  of  guidons  of  the  23rd  Light 
Dragoons,  circa  1803-15,  believed  to  have  led  the 
regiment  in  its  celebrated  charge  at  Talavera  in 
1809.  The  regiment  was  in  Anson's  brigade,  which 
was  ordered  by  Sir  Arthur  Wellesley  to  attack 
Villatte's  Division,  and  the  23rd,  starting  at  a  canter 
and  increasing  their  speed  as  they  advanced,  rode 
headlong  against  the  enemy,  but  in  a  few  minutes 
came  upon  the  brink  of  a  hollow  cleft,  which  was  not 
perceptible  at  a  distance.  The  regiment  plunged 
down  without  a  check,  men  and  horses  rolling  over 

16 


306       CHATS   ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

each  other  in  dreadful  confusion.  The  survivors 
mounted  the  opposite  bank,  by  twos  and  threes,  and 
rallying  passed  through  the  midst  of  Villatte's 
columns,  which  poured  in  a  fire  from  each  side,  and 
fell  upon  a  brigade  of  French  chasseurs  in  the  rear. 
The  combat  was  fierce,  but  short ;  for  fresh  troops 
came  up  when  the  23rd,  already  overmatched,  could 
scarcely  hold  up  against  the  chasseurs.  The  regi- 
ment lost  two  hundred  and  seven  men  and  officers,  or 
about  half  the  number  that  went  into  action. 

The  facings  of  the  regiment  being  crimson  the  first 
guidon  was,  as  usual,  of  that  hue.  For  distinction's 
sake,  though  hardly  in  accordance  with  the  regula- 
tions, the  other  guidons  were  blue.  It  is  impossible 
to  decide  with  exact  certainty  the  date  when  they 
were  made,  but  probably  soon  after  the  regiment  was 
renumbered,  in  1803.' 

Odds  and  Ends  of  Dress  Equipment. — Of  curios 
coming  within  this  class  the  collector  should  be 
able  to  gather  quite  an  abundance  of  valuable 
material,  ranging  from,  say.  Royalist  powder-flasks 
to  the  sashes  worn  by  celebrated  soldiers  on  historic 
occasions.  The  Royal  United  Service  Museum,  that 
treasure-house  of  military  curios,  has  the  following 
interesting  exhibits  worthy  of  mention  under  this 
head  : — 

I.  The  dress  worn  by  Tippoo  Sahib,  Sultan  of 
Mysore,  during  the  Siege  of  Seringapatam,  in  1799. 
It  is  thickly  padded  with  leather,  and  the  head-dress, 
which  has  the  appearance  of  green  velvet,  is  in 
reality  a  very  effective  helmet. 

^  The  descriptions  of  these  colours  are  those  given  with  the  exhibits. 


MISCELLANEOUS  MILITARY  CURIOS    307 


I 
I 


2.  A  cavalry  cloak  which  belonged  to  Captain 
Nolan,  15th  Hussars,  who  fell  in  the  charge  at 
Balaklava.  Captain  Nolan  was  A.D.C.  to  the 
Quartermaster -General,  when  he  conveyed  to 
Brigadier-General  the  Earl  of  Cardigan  the  famous 
order  for  the  Charge  of  the  Light  Brigade. 

3.  An  officer's  silk  sash  used  in  supporting  Sir 
John  Moore  when  carried  in  a  blanket  from  the 
battlefield  of  Coruna  to  the  Citadel  after  he  was 
mortally  wounded  on  January  16,   1809. 

4.  A  civilian's  hat  worn  by  Lieutenant-General 
Sir  Thomas  Picton,  who  commanded  the  Third 
Division  at  the  Battle  of  Vittoria,  June  21,  181 3, 
when  the  French  army  was  totally  defeated  by  the 
allied  armies.  He  wore  the  civilian  head-dress 
owing  to  inflammation  of  the  eyes. 

5.  A  saddle  used  by  Field-Marshal  Prince  BlUcher 
von  Wahlstadt  at  the  Battle  of  Waterloo. 

6.  An  umbrella  of  King  Prempeh,  who  was  taken 
prisoner  by  the  British  troops  under  Colonel  Sir 
Francis  Scott  at  Coomassie  in  1896.  The  umbrella 
was  presented  to  Her  late  Majesty  Queen  Victoria.' 

Books  and  Newspapers  of  Military  Interest. — In  this 
class  quite  a  wide  range  of  matter  is  to  be  found. 
Books  on  military  subjects  containing  fine  illustra- 
tions, especially  when  coloured,  are  always  valuable, 
and  if  more  than  seventy  or  eighty  years  old  are 
never  likely  to  depreciate  in  worth.  When  the 
illustrations  depict  army  dress  or  refer  to  implements 
of  warfare,  the  books  should  be  especially  prized. 
Volumes  having  for  the   subjects    the   descriptions 

'  The  descriptions  are  those  given  with  the  exhibits  at  the  Museum. 


308       CHATS  ON  MILITARY   CURIOS 


MGHT  HORSE  VOLUNTCtsRS, 

OF     LONDONAND    VV  ESTM  1  NSTE4t. 

The  Comrnittcc  of  this  Corps',  conliderin^  with 
feriou;  attention  thp  l)rcfcnt,cririajl  .(ituatiou  of 
the  Cqunrrv,  and  conceiving  that*vcry  wdl-\vi(hcr 
to  Its  Conltitution  and  GovernmcDt  v/ouldh  lie  dc- 
Hroas  of  affording  hh  individuar  fupport  at  tj>is 
period,  ^ca<S  -particularly  (hould  his  Majcfty*s  cn- 
liesivours  Vo  conclude  a  fafe  ami  honourable  Pcact 
witii  oar  enemies  prove  incffcftual),  have  Ith^Sught 
it  proper  to  liiake  Knov/ji  to  the  Piibiictne  follow- 
ing Abflraft  of  the  Rules  and  Regui.'iriorts  unani- 
iruufly  agreed  to  by  the  Corp5,  viz.-»Thi$  Corns. 
iniUluted  in  1779,  ^"d  revived  in  ij^y.  confifts* 
when  complete,  of  300  Gentlemen,  corufnanded  hf 
two  Field  OiTvcers,  fix  Cjpnins,  lit  Lieutcn;intiJ  • 
fix  CSrnets,  and  aa  Adjutant,' ^.hofch  from  amon;; 
themfclves  and  commifiioned  byhisMijcfty;  fub- 
jgil  to  be  called  out  in  cafe  of  uivifjon,'  rippc-vpnte 
of  invafion,  or  infurrc<frion,  nnd  to  do  dury  in  flic 
-  mstropoli^  only,  or  within  ihc  diflanre  often  mijcs. 

When  nor  on  afbial  fervicc,  all  ftintters  arc  fc£u- 
Ijtcd  by-a  Committee  of  ivvilv^PrKite!.  and-nitiC 
OITiCeis;  and  in  cafe  of  death  or  reiignitioo,  a  pw 
va:e  ma/  be  elcftcd  to  any  nnk.  tti  the  c«rps. 

The  firft  exj^iacp  fpr .ii.r^ffojunajjL ^ins,  i^cQatr;- 
tncnrs  and  fiorlb  fiuniturc,  d6cs  cb.t  anoouat  to  ;jol. 
,  5n(l  the  annual  fubfcriptjo-i  is  only  t»  gtiiuea^. 
'which  may  be-confidercd  as  arcp'y  compenlat^J  by 
the  following' auyantnges:— 
'  '  Efvy  gemlemau  is  taaght. riding,  fenciog,  and 
rhcfword;  cxercifc^bn  horlcback  by  the  beft  maf- 
tcrs,  iu  th?  pay  o^he  corps. 

He  1^  exempted  lro\o1hc  Militia,  tHe  tax  for  orr 
horft,  and  the  poiivdcr  tax  (if  hcchnfss  ta  avail 
bimfelfof'^hAt  privilege),'  and  i\fo  the  ballot  for  tijc 
propolcd  fupernumerary  Miliija  and  Cavalry. 
V  His  hoife  is  broke  and  kept  in  confiant  cxertifir 
at  the  fhtjks  t)h\\e  corps  (ihould  he  prefer  fcndinj 
him  there),  wher^  he  fi^n^atlcC;  expence  than  At 
livery.   ■  '     ■ 

There  sre  no  exiJ>etifire  meeting?,  nnd  thi^  at- 
tcndrfficcat  futh  as  are  occafionally  ^ppointcii  by 
the  Committee,  is  always  optional.'- 
'  The  cprjis  is  compofcd  in  general  of  roen  of  ex^ 
tcnfiye  huiuicfb,  ana  tlie  honrs  of  cxcrcifeare  regu- 
lated in  fuch  a  manner  asfcI^^Jm  to  prove  of  auy  in- 
convenience. 

It  is  ooJy  necefTary  to  att^ndf  the' drills  till  a  cer- 
tificate of. being  fit  for  duty  is  obtained  from  the 
Commanding  cfiJLcr. 

Tlie  civil  and  military  rcgtilitjons'of  the  corps 
more  at  large  mav  be  licri'.fcd  by  applying  to  tho 
Secretary,  or  any  6erttlcmbji  of  x\ic  Cominirtt;e'. 
/.v.  194,  Slrevtd,      .     By  O'-di^f, 

AW.  8,  IT^-J.'"   ■»  ED\v.HacHjfs»  Sec. 

A  CUTTING  FROM    THE   TIMES  OF  NOVEMBER  9,   1 796, 

which  is  of  much  interest,  as  it  shows  that  probleins  of  recruiting 

were  just  as  difficult  of  solution  a  century  and  a  quarter  ago  as 

they  are  to-day. 


MISCELLANEOUS  MILITARY  CURIOS    309 


of  battles  or  accounts  of  tactics  are,  however,  not 
sought  for,  as  a  rule.  The  Army  List  must  not 
be  forgotten.  Early  copies — the  first  appeared  in 
1 8 14 — are  eagerly  snapped  up  whenever  offered  for 
sale — as  many  soldiers  of  rank  endeavour  to  secure 
complete  sets  of  them. 

Newspapers  containing  news  of  special  military 
interest  are  worth  obtaining.  The  issues  of  The 
Times  which  tell  of  the  successes  of  Trafalgar  and 
Waterloo  are  notoriously  valuable,  but  the  reprinted 
copies  must  not  be  mistaken  for  the  original  leaflets. 
There  is,  of  course,  no  need  to  confine  one's  collec- 
tion to  copies  of  The  Times.  In  this  matter,  the 
news  contained  by  the  journal  is  more  to  be  con- 
sidered than  the  dignity  of  the  journal  itself. 

Royal  Souvenirs. — In  the  time  of  Waterloo  the 
soldier  in  the  ranks  received  few  of  the  little  con- 
siderations which  we  now  feel  are  the  hero's  just 
reward.  Tommy  was  paid  for  his  work  and  there 
the  matter  ended.  To-day,  however,  the  position 
has  changed.  We,  who  stay  at  home,  can  hardly 
think  enough  of  those  who  are  fighting  our  battles : 
such  is  the  spirit  shown  by  every  one  from  the  King 
down  to  the  humblest  citizen  living  within  the 
realm.  With  such  a  feeling  abroad  it  is  not  to  be 
wondered  at  that  members  of  the  Royal  Family 
have,  in  recent  times,  made  little  presents  to  our 
fighting  men,  knowing  full  well  how  much  the 
recipients  will  treasure  them.  Under  this  heading 
we  may  mention  the  Queen  Victoria  chocolate  tin 
which  the  late  Queen  gave  to  soldiers  in  the  Boer 
War,  the  chocolate  or  tobacco  tin  which   Princess 


310       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

Mary  presented,  full  of  good  things,  to  the  soldiers 
during  Christmas,  1914,  and  lastly  the  Christmas 
card  which  the  King  and  Queen  sent  to  the  fighting 
men  on  land  and  sea  at  the  same  festive  season. 
These  and  all  such  souvenirs  are,  of  course,  to  be 
highly  prized  by  the  collector. 

Official  Military  Documents. — Undoubtedly  a  good 
many  documents  of  a  military  bearing  are  to  be 
found  if  collectors  only  know  where  to  search  for 
them.  The  more  important  papers,  such  as  plans 
of  battlefields  and  commanders'  messages,  are  natur- 
ally prized  by  those  who  own  them,  but  there  is  a 
wide  field  for  the  collector  among  the  documents 
of  lesser  importance.  Within  this  class  we  should 
include  all  kinds  of  official  correspondence,  passports 
to  enter  fortified  towns,  passes  to  enable  journalists 
to  penetrate  beyond  certain  lines,  and  proclamations, 
printed  and  otherwise.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that 
the  scope  of  the  collection  is  almost  without  limit. 

A  good  many  treasures  coming  under  this  head  are 
to  be  found  in  the  Whitehall  museum,  already  spoken 
of  Two  are  worthy  of  special  notice.  The  first  is 
a  pass  issued  to  Lieutenant  J.  Whiteley,  9th  Foot, 
when  a  French  prisoner  of  war  at  Verdun,  dated 
December  30,  181 2.     It  runs  as  follows  : — 

" Place  de  Verdun. 

Permission  de  Sortir  de  la  Place, 

II    est    permit    ^     Mr.    Whitley,    Prisonnier     de 

Guerre  de  sortir  de  la  Place  par  les  portes,  Chauss^e 

de   Metz,  a  condition  de  rentrer  chaque  jour  avant 

leur  fermeture. 


■ 


MISCELLANEOUS  MILITARY   CLTIIOS    311 

La  pr^sente  permission  est  pour  lui  seul.  Ver- 
dun, 30  Decembre,  18 12. 

Le  Commandant  du  d^pot  des  Prisonniers  de 

Guerre  Anglais." 
{^Signature  illegible.) 

The  above  is  interesting  in  so  much  as  it  enables  us 
to  gather  that  those  who  were  unfortunate  enough  to 
be  taken  prisoner  by  the  French  were  treated  as  men 
of  honour  and  with  as  few  irksome  restrictions  as  pos- 
sible. The  second  treasure  is  a  map  of  the  theatre  of 
war  (the  Waterloo  Campaign,  181 5)  saturated  with  the 
blood  of  Lieutenant- General  Sir  Thomas  Picton,  who 
was  killed  during  the  battle.  The  map  was  taken 
from  the  pocket  of  his  coattee  on  the  following  morn- 
ing by  his  servant,  Henry  Barnes. 


So  far  we  have  marshalled  our  curios  under  certain 
more  or  less  convenient  headings,  but  some  of  them 
refuse  all  attempts  at  classification ;  they  are  no  less 
attractive  on  this  account,  however. 

Were  we  to  reserve  a  space  for  gruesome  relics,  the 
following  exhibit,  to  be  seen  in  the  Royal  United 
Service  Museum,  would  certainly  deserve  mention. 
It  is  the  King  of  Ashanti's  execution  bowl,  which 
formed  part  of  the  spoils  taken  from  Prempeh  by  the 
expedition  under  Colonel  Sir  Francis  Scott  in  1896. 
The  bowl,  which  is  of  brass,  resembles  an  ordinary 
bath-tub  in  appearance  and  size,  and  is  about  five  feet 
in  diameter.  On  the  rim  are  four  small  lions  and  a 
number  of  knobs,  evidently  intended  as  an  orna- 
mentation, and  would  appear  to  be  of  Moorish  origin. 


312       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

There  is  a  gap  in  the  continuity  of  knobs  to  allow  a 
space  for  the  victim  to  insert  his  neck  preparatory  to 
execution.  The  bowl  was  fully  described  by  Bow- 
dich  in  his  account  of  Ashanti  in  1817.  Coomassie, 
where  the  bowl  was  taken,  means  the  City  of  Death  ; 
it  possessed  three  places  of  execution — one  at  the 
palace  for  private  executions,  one  on  the  parade 
ground  for  public  executions,  and  a  third,  named 
Bantama,  where  the  bowl  was  found,  for  fetish  sacri- 
fices. Any  great  public  occasion  was  seized  upon  as 
an  excuse  for  human  sacrifice,  such  as  the  harvest 
festival,  at  which  large  numbers  of  victims  were 
offered. 

The  King  also  went  every  quarter  to  pay  homage 
to  the  shade  of  his  ancestors  at  Bantama,  and  on  each 
occasion  the  death  of  twenty  men  over  the  great 
bowl  was  demanded.  The  blood  of  the  victims  was 
allowed  to  putrefy  in  the  bowl,  the  leaves  of  certain 
herbs  being  added ;  it  was  considered  a  very  valuable 
fetish  medicine.  King  Prempeh  was  accustomed  to 
watching  the  sacrifices  seated  in  a  chair  with  the 
Queen- Mother  seated  on  a  stool  on  his  left,  being 
sheltered  from  the  sun  by  a  large  umbrella.^ 

Before  concluding  this  chapter  on  miscellaneous 
curios,  it  may  be  well  to  give  a  list  of  suggested 
objects,  bearing  on  the  Great  War,  which  might  be 
reasonably  included  in  a  collection  of  war  mementoes 
and  relics  : — 

Blue-books  and  similar  official  correspondence, 
both  British  and  foreign.  Copies  of  newspapers 
containing  accounts  of  the  outstanding  incidents  of 

'  **  Museum  Catalogue,"  p.  49. 


i 


UAL  ALMANACK^ 

soT.nr    fc      p.  Av    R    BOf'K  '\ 


.^  g  # 


\ 


AN  INTERESTING  BROADSIDE  PRINTED  AT  THE  FAMOUS  CATNACH 
PRESS,  BEING  ONE  OF  A  SERIES  DESCRIBING  INCIDENTS  IN 
THE   LIFE  OF  A   SOLDIER. 


313 


I 


MISCELLANEOUS  MILITARY  CURIOS    315 

the  war.  Photographs  of  the  greater  events,  i.e.  the 
sinking  of  the  Bliicher.  Recruiting  posters.  Posters 
describing  hostile  and  friendly  aircraft.  Printed  pro- 
clamations. Letters  from  soldiers  at  the  front.  War 
postage  stamps,  including  the  various  Red  Cross 
stamps.  The  King  and  Queen's  Christmas  card 
to  the  soldiers.  Princess  Mary's  chocolate  box. 
Various  kinds  of  ammunition  used  by  the  Allies 
and  the  enemy.  Aeroplane  darts.  Permits  given 
to  journalists  to  enter  the  various  battle  zones. 
Official  stamps  of  the  Press  Censor.  Cartoons  from 
Punch,  Paper  money  issued  owing  to  the  hostilities. 
Portions  of  uniforms,  i.e.  Prussian  helmets,  buttons 
and  badges  of  British  and  foreign  soldiers.  Souvenirs 
made  by  interned  soldiers.  Toys  constructed  by 
Belgian  refugees,  and  composite  flags  made  by 
combining  the  devices  of  the  various  allies. 


XVIII 

A  HISTORY 
OF  ONE'S 
COLLECTION 


CHAPTER    XVIII 

tSTORY   OF  ONE'S  COLLECTION 

Reasons  for  compiling  a  history  of  one's  collection — The  part  played 
by  photographs — Armour  suggested  as  an  example — Material  for 
grangerizing 

In  this  concluding  chapter  we  have  a  suggestion  to 
make  to  the  collector  of  ample  leisure  moments ; 
briefly,  it  is  that  he  should  draw  up  a  history  of  his 
treasures.  Such  a  work  has  many  valuable  advan- 
tages ;  first,  it  helps  to  co-ordinate  the  pieces  which 
our  collection  contains ;  second,  it  provides  work 
of  a  fascinating  nature ;  third,  it  leads  us  to  hunt 
through  books  and  collections  and  so  increases  our 
knowledge ;  and  fourth,  it  provides  us  with 
a  kind  of  catalogue  of  our  treasures  which  should 
prove  of  value  for  insurance  and  other  purposes  of 
identification. 

Collectors  of  most  kinds  of  curios  are  able  to  keep 
their  specimens  in  methodical  array.  The  philatelist, 
for  instance,  preserves  his  stamps  within  the  covers 
of  one  or  more  albums  ;  the  print-lover  places  his 
pictures  in  portfolios,  whilst  the  china-collector  uses 
a  cabinet  for  housing  his  treasures.  The  collector  of 
military  curios,  however,  cannot  adopt  any  of  these 

319 


320       CHATS   ON   MILITARY   CURIOS 

methodical  arrangements,  for  it  is  impossible  to 
assemble,  we  will  say,  armour,  postage  stamps, 
medals,  and  badges  with  any  pretence  of  order. 
This  is  where  the  history  of  one's  collection  steps 
in  ;  it  describes  the  pieces  and  explains  where  each 
is  to  be  found. 


The  first  stage  in  making  such  a  history  consists 
in  procuring  photographs  or  well-executed  drawings 
of  every  specimen  in  our  collection.  Photographs 
are,  of  course,  much  more  useful  than  drawings,  and 
as  nearly  every  house  boasts  of  a  camera  nowadays 
the  former  should  not  be  hard  to  obtain. 

The  prints  should  be  mounted  in  a  loose-leaf 
album,  the  pages  of  which  must  be  much  larger  than 
the  prints.  Mounting  may  be  performed  in  many 
ways,  but  it  will  be  well  to  use  a  photographic  paste, 
to  use  it  sparingly,  and  to  paste  the  whole  of  the 
backs  of  the  prints. 

The  third  step  consists  in  adding  written  matter 
under  and  around  the  prints.  This  data  should 
describe  not  only  the  article  portrayed,  that  is  to 
say,  its  use,  its  sequence  among  other  similar  things, 
its  composition,  and  so  on,  but  also  where  and  how 
it  was  personally  obtained,  what  was  paid  for  it,  and 
in  what  particular  place  it  is  kept. 

Personally,  we  do  not  think  that  a  history  should 
be  limited  to  an  account  of  the  pieces  figuring  in  our 
collection,  but  that  a  welcome  should  be  extended 
to  brief  descriptions,  both  written  and  pictorial,  of 
specimens  which  we  hope  to  obtain  as  well  as 
interesting  specimens  which  we  can  never  hope  to 


I 


A  HISTORY  OF  ONE'S  COLLECTION    321 

obtain  owing  to  their  unique  condition.  The  wider 
history  will  prove  more  complete  and,  therefore,  more 
valuable  ;  it  will  also  serve  as  an  indicator  of  the 
things  which  we  do  not  yet  possess  but  which  are 
procurable  by  the  average  collector. 

By  way  of  an  example,  let  us  say  that  the  reader 
has  a  small  collection  of  armour  and  weapons  and 
that  he  proposes  to  draw-  up  a  history  of  these 
interesting  objects.  The  first  thing  would  be  to 
photograph  each  of  the  specimens  in  his  collection 
and  to  mount  them  in  an  album  as  described  above. 
Naturally,  there  would  be  many  periods  unrepre- 
sented in  the  collection,  and  pictures  of  these  he 
should  endeavour  to  find  among  the  magazines  and 
books  that  are  available.  As  a  discovery  is  made 
it  should  be  carefully  cut  out  and  added  to  the 
history.  Of  course,  when  an  additional  piece  of 
armour  or  a  weapon  is  procured,  its  photograph 
should  replace  any  print  of  a  similar  article  which 
may  already  figure  in  the  album. 

The  grangerite,  for  such  is  the  name  given  to  a  person 
who  creates  a  history  on  these  lines,  is  often  spoken 
of  as  one  who  mutilates  valuable  books  to  give  birth 
to  a  volume  of  his  own.  We  may  say  at  once  that 
we  do  not  suggest  that  mutilation  of  any  kind  should 
be  countenanced.  The  grangerite  who  needs  extra- 
illustrations  can  find  material,  in  abundance,  for  his 
work  in  all  sorts  of  quarters  without  tearing  prints 
from  volumes  of  worth.  The  old  book-shop  with  its 
penny  boxes  and  print  portfolios  provides  all  the 
pictures   that   are   necessary   in    the   ordinary   way 


322       CHATS   ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

whilst  back  numbers  of  The  Connoisseur  are  veritable 
gold-mines  when  representations  of  any  kind  of  curio 
are  needed. 

But  the  grangerite  must  learn  to  search  for 
material  in  all  sorts  of  unexpected  quarters.  Armour, 
in  many  cases,  adorns  the  heroes  which  grace  our 
public  statues  in  London  (e.g.  the  Black  Prince  at 
Westminster),  therefore,  he  should  procure  picture 
post-cards  of  such  monuments.  Again,  many  coins 
bear  allegorical  figures  which  include  arms  and 
armour  in  various  forms.  In  this  matter  it  is  worth 
mentioning  that  the  British  Museum  has  on  sale  a 
large  stock  of  picture  post-cards  depicting  the  coins 
reposing  in  its  galleries.  These,  of  course,  the 
grangerite  should  procure.  Lastly,  we  may  mention 
that  royal  seals,  church  brasses,  and  even  postage 
stamps  often  portray  the  warrior  in  shining  armour 
and  are  worth  noting  by  the  grangerite. 

Such,  in  outline,  is  the  task  of  drawing  up  a  history 
of  one's  collection.  The  work  is  fascinating  and  the 
magnum  opus^  when  perfected,  is  of  considerable  value. 
Need  more  be  said  ? 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 


17 


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WORKS  DEALING  WITH   MILITARY   CRESTS, 
BADGES,   UNIFORMS,   ETC. 


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Army  Clothing  Regulations.  Part  1.  Regular  Forces. 
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Atkinson,  J.  A.  A  Picturesque  Representation  of  the 
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CoLNAGHi,  — .  Costumes  of  the  Army  of  the  British  Empire 
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326       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

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2  vols. 
Lawrence- Archer,   J.      The  British  Army :   its  records, 

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of  the  subject.) 
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collection  of  coloured  plates.)     18 15. 
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coloured  plates,  by  M.  A.  Hayes.     2  vols.     1840. 
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plates  depicting  about  100  army  dresses.   Encydopcedia 

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WORKS  DEALING  WITH   ARMS  AND  ARMOUR. 


4 


Anderson,  J.    Ancient  Scottish  Weapons.     (Edinburgh.) 

1881. 
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Arrows  and  Arrow  Makers.     (Published  by  Judd  and 

Detweiler,  Washington.)     1891. 
AsHDOWN,  C.  H.     British  and  Foreign  Arms  and  Armour. 

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1883. 
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of  the  Royal   Armoury  of  Madrid.     1907.      (Not  a 

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diagrams  and  32  plates. 
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Monographs.)     1898. 
Gaythorpe,  H.     Notes  on  the  Rampside  Sword.     1909. 
Greener,  W.  W.     The  Gun  and  its  Development.      1899. 
Hartley,  C.  Gasquoine.     The  Madrid  Royal  Armoury. 

Article  in  The  Connoisseur^  vol.  iv.  p.  239. 
Hendley,  T.  H.     Damascening  on  Steel  and  Iron.    1892. 
Hewitt,  J.     Ancient  Armour  and  Weapons  in  Europe, 

3  vols.     1855. 
Hutton,  a.     The  Sword  and  the  Centuries.     1901. 
JOLY,  H.  L.     Japanese  Sword  Mounts.     19 10. 
Keller,    M.   L.      The    Anglo-Saxon    Weapon.      Names 

treated  arch  geologically  and  etymologically.     1906. 
Kelly,  Francis  M.     Arms  and  Armour  at  the  National 

Gallery.     Article  in  The  Connoisseur^  vol.  iii.  p.  216. 
Kimball.   W.   W.      Small   Arms    of    European    Armies. 

Article  in  Scribner's  Monthly^  vol.  vi.  p.  363. 
Laking,  Guy  F.     Catalogue  of  Oriental  Arms  and  Armour 

in  the  Wallace  Collection.     19 14. 
List  of  Books  and  Photographs  in  the  National  Art 

Library     Illustrating    Armour    and    Weapons. 

(Victoria  and  Albert  Museum.)     1883. 
Maindron,  G.  R.  M.     Les  Armes.     1890.  ' 

Marks,   E.   C    R.     Evolution   of  Modern   Small  Arms. 
1899. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY  329 

Mason,  V.  L.     New  Weapons  of  the  United  States  Army. 

Article  in  The  Century  Magazine^  vol.  27,  p.  570. 
Mayne,  C.  B.     The  Infantry  Weapon  and  its  Use  in  War. 

1903. 
Meyrick.     Ancient  Armour  in  Europe.     1830. 
Nugent,    W.    T.      Art    Ornamentation    upon    Armour. 

Article  in   The  Magazine  of  Art,  vol.  4,  p.  78. 
Sandars,  Horace.     The  Weapons  of  the  Iberians.     1913. 
Sandringham  Arms  and  Armour.     (The  Indian  Collec- 
tion presented  to  Edward  VII,  when  Prince  of  Wales, 

1875-6.)     1910. 
Sargeaunt,  B.  E.     Weapons  :  a  Brief  Discourse  on  Hand 

Weapons  other  than  Firearms.     1908. 
Sawyer,  C.  W.     Firearms   in   American   History,   1600- 

1800.     1910. 
Seton-Karr,    Sir    Henry.      Ammunition.      Article    in 

Encyclopaedia  Britannica^  nth  edition,  vol.  i. 
Text-book  of  Small  Arms.     (Government  Publication.) 

1909. 
Treatise  on  Ammunition  :  especially  for  Army  Service. 

(Stationery  Ofifice  Publication.)     1905. 
Walsh,  J.  H.     Weapons  of  War. 
Westropp,  M.  S.  D.     Arms  and  Armour.     1906. 
Wilkinson.     Engines  of  War. 

WORKS   DEALING  WITH    MEDALS,    DECORATIONS, 
AND   MEDALLIONS 

Adams,  J.  H.     Some  Rare  Napoleonic  Medals.     Article 

in  Cosmopolitan,  vol.  17,  p.  286. 
Armand,  a.     Les   Medailleurs  italiens  des  quinzieme  et 

seizieme  siecles.     3  vols.     1883. 
Carter,  T.      War   Medals   of  the   British   Army,   1893. 

(Historical  as  well  as  technical  information.) 
Catalogue  of  the  Bowles   Collection,   at  Bristol, 

OF  Tokens,  Coins,  and  Medals.     Bristol.     1909. 


330       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

Catalogue  of  the  Coins,  Tokens,  Medals,  Dies,  and 

Seals   in    the    Museum    of   the    Mint.      2    vols. 

1906. 
Elvin,  C.  N.     Handbook  of  the  Orders  of  Chivalry,  War 

Medals,  and  other  Decorations.  1892. 
Fabriczy,  C.  von.  Italian  Medals.  1904. 
Fisher,   J.    F.     American   Medals.      (Mass.    Hist.  Coll. 

3d.     Series  6,  286.) 
Grueber,    H.  a.     Guide   to  the   Exhibition  of  English 

Medals  in  the  British  Museum,  1891. 
Hawkins,   E.     Medallic  Illustrations   of   the   History   of 

Great  Britain  and  Ireland  to  the  Death  of  George  II. 

2  vols.     1885. 
Irwin,   D.   H.     War  Medals  and   Decorations  issued  to 

the  British  Forces  since  1588.     (This  book  is  specially 

recommended.) 
List  of  Books  and  Pamphlets  in  the  National  Art 

Library  (Victoria  and  Albert  Museum)   on   Coins 

AND  Medals.     1889. 
Mayo,   J.   H.     Medals   and   Decorations    of    the   British 

Army  and  Navy.     2  vols.     1897.     (Most  of  the  actual 

documents  relating  to  the  issue  of  the  various  medals 

are  quoted  verbatim.) 
Medallions.     Notice  des  monuments  exposes  dans  le 

Departement  des  Medailles.     Bibliotheque  Nationale, 

Paris.     1889. 
Medals  of  Honor  as  a  Recognition  of  Gallantry. 

Article  in  Harper's  Weekly^  April  12,  1902. 
Medals  of  the  British  Army.     A  coloured  chart  issued 

by  Gale  and  Polden.     Price  is. 
Myer,  I.     The  Waterloo  Medal.     (Philadelphia.)     1885. 
Patrick  R.  W.  C.     Catalogue  of  the  Medals  of  Scotland. 

1884. 
Poole,  Stanley  Lane-.     Coins  and  Medals.     1894. 
Poole,  Stanley  Lane-.     Coins  and  Medals :  their  Place 

in  History  and  Art.     1885. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY  331 

Simon,  T.  Medals,  Coins,  Great  Seals,  Impressions  from 
the  Works  of  T.  Simon,  1648-65.     1753. 

SiMONis,  J.  L'Art  du  Medailleur  en  Belgique.  1900. 
(Brussels.) 

Spink  &  Son.  Hints  to  Collectors  of  Coins  and  Medals. 
1898. 

Steward,  W.  Augustus.    War  Medals  and  their  Histories. 

1915- 
Steward,   W^   Augustus.     War   Medals   Won   by  Boys. 

Article  in  The  Bofs  Own  Paper ^  vol.  xxxvii.  p.  327. 
Tancred,   G.     Historical    Record   of    Medals    conferred 

on   the   British   Navy,  Army,  and  Auxiliary   Forces. 

1891. 
Weber,  F.  P.     Medals  of  the  Nineteenth  Century  relating 

to  England  by  Foreign  Artists.     1894. 
Whalley,  J.  L.     Gold  War  Medals.     1888. 

WORKS   DEALING  WITH    MILITARY   PRINTS 

(The  collector  of  miUtary  prints  will  find  many  interest- 
ing items  listed  under  the  head  of  "Crests,  Badges,  and 
Uniforms.") 

Ashton,    John.      English     Caricature     and    Satire     on 

Napoleon  I.     1884. 
British   Volunteers,  or  a  General  History  of  the 

Formation  and  Establishment  of  the  Volunteer 

and   Associated     Corps.      With    coloured    plates. 

1799. 
Broadley,  a.  M.     Napoleon  in  Caricature,   1 795-1821. 

191 1. 
Campion,  G.  B.     Principal  Evolutions  of  the  Royal  Horse 

Artillery.     Coloured  plates.     1846. 
Cannon,   R.     Historical   Records  of  the   British    Army. 

Contains  a  sumptuous  collection  of  coloured  reprints 

representing  the  various  regiments  of  the  Army.    1834. 


332       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

Connolly,  T.  J.  W.     History  of  the  Royal  Sappers  and 

Miners.     Coloured  plates.     1855. 
Cruikshank,  G.     Life  of  Napoleon,  by  W.  H.  Ireland, 

and  plates  by  G.  Cruikshank.  1828. 
Daubrawa,    H.   de.      Costumes    of    the    Indian    Army. 

Coloured  plates.     1843. 
Davenport,   Lieutenant-Colonel.     The  Light    Horse 

Drill  for  the  Volunteer   Corps.     Uncoloured  plates. 

(A  valuable  work.)     1800. 
Daves,   E.     The   First  Regiment  of  the   Foot  Guards. 

Coloured  plates.     (Also  companion   volumes  of  the 

Second  and  Third  Regiments.) 
EwART,  Herbert.     Henry  Brinbury,  Caricaturist.     Article 

in  The  Connoisseur^  vol.  vi.  p.  85. 
GiLLRAY,     James.       Caricatures,     comprising     the     best 

Political    and    Humorous    Satires   of    the   Reign   of 

George     III.        (Six     hundred     large     engravings.) 

1850. 
Gunn,  M.\urice  J.     Print  Restoration  and  Picture  Clean- 
ing.    (With   chapters   on    "  Print    Fakes    and    their 

Detection  "  and  "  Prints  to  Collect.") 
Hayden,  Arthur.  Chats  on  Old  Prints. 
Heath,  W.     A  Collection  of  52  Coloured  Plates  of  the 

Costumes  of  the  British  Cavalry  and  Infantry  Regi- 
ments.    1827. 
Nevill,  Ralph.      British   Military  Prints.     (A  valuable 

guide  for  collectors  of  military  pictures.)     1909. 


WORKS   DEALING  WITH   MILITARY  BRASSES 

Beaumont,  Edward.     Ancient  Memorial  Brasses.     1913. 
Beaumont,  Edward.  Three  Interesting  Hampshire  Brasses. 

(Reprinted  from  the  Hampshire  Field  Club  Society's 

Papers.)     19 14. 
Boutell,  C.     Monumental  Brasses  and  Slabs.     1847. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 


333 


I 
I 


BouTELL,  C.     The  Monumental  Brasses  of  Great  Britain. 

1849. 
Brasses  of  England.     (Antiquary's  Books.)     1907. 
Druitt,  H.     Manual  of  Costume  as  Illustrated  by  Monu- 
mental Brasses.     1906. 
Fisher,  Thomas.     Drawings  of  Brasses  in  some  Kentish 

Churches.     191 3. 
Griffin,  Ralph.     Some  Indents  of  Lost  Brasses  in  Kent, 

Canterbury  Cathedral,  Rochester  Cathedral,  Saltwood 

Church.     1914. 
GuNTHER,  R.  F.     A    Description   of  Brasses  and  other 

Funeral   Monuments    in    the    Chapel   of    Magdalen 

College,  Oxford.     19 14. 
Haines.     A  Manual  of  Monumental  Brasses.     1861. 
Hudson.     The  Brasses  of  Northamptonshire.     1853. 
Macklin,  Herbert.     Monumental  Brasses.     1892. 
Macklin,  Herbert.     The  Brasses  of  England.     1913. 
Stoke  D'Abernon  Manor  House.     (Describes  the  oldest 

brass   in  England.)     Article   in  TJie   Country  Borne, 

vol.  i.  p.  6. 
Stothard.     Monumental  Effigies  of  Great  Britain.     1840. 
Suffling,   Ernest   R.     English   Church  Brasses  of  the 

Thirteenth  to  Seventeenth  Centuries.     (Contains  over 

two  hundred  illustrations.) 
Transactions  of  the    Monumental    Brass    Society, 

1887. 
Waller.     A  Series  of  Monumental  Brasses.     1842. 
Ward,  J.     Brasses.     (Cambridge  Shilling  Manual.) 


1910. 


WORKS   DEALING  WITH   AUTOGRAPHS 


1910. 


Broadlev,  a.  M.     Chats  on  Autographs. 
Scott,  Henry  T.     Autograph  Collecting. 
•ScOTT,  H.  T.     Rational  Autograph  Collecting. 
The  Connoisseur,  vol.  i.  p.  114. 


Article  in 


334       CHATS   ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 

WORKS   DEALING  WITH   WAR  POSTAGE  STAMPS 

Armstrong,  D.  B.     Postage  Stamps  of  War.     19 14. 
Johnson,  Stanley  C.     Peeps  at  Postage  Stamps.     19 15. 

(Chapter  XIII.) 
Melville,  Fred  J.     Chats  on  Postage  Stamps.     191 1. 
Melville,  Fred  J.     The  Postage  Stamp  in  War.     19 15. 
Nankivell,    Edward   J.      South    African    War    Stamps. 

Article  in  The  Connoisseur^  vol.  i.  p.  40. 


WORKS  OF  A  MISCELLANEOUS  CHARACTER  OF 
INTEREST  TO  COLLECTORS  OF  MILITARY 
CURIOS 

Abell,  Francis.  Prisoners  of  War  in  Britain,  1756- 
1815.  1915.  (Includes  an  interesting  account  of 
objects  made  by  prisoners  during  their  confinement.) 

Alexander,  Sir  J.  E.  Life  of  the  Duke  of  Wellington. 
2  vols.     1839. 

Atkinson,  Captain  J.     The  A  B  C  of  the  Army.     19 10. 

Baily,  J.  T.  Herbert.  Napoleon.  (Published  by  The 
Connoisseur.) 

Barnard.  Companion  to  English  History.  (Middle 
Ages.)  1902.  (Especially  the  chapters  on  "Costume, 
Military  and  Civil";  and  also  "The  Growth  of 
Firearms.") 

Broadley,  a.  M.  The  Collectanea  Napoleonica :  being 
a  catalogue  of  the  collection  of  Autographs,  Historical 
Documents,  Broadsides,  Caricatures,  Drawings,  Maps,. 
Music,  Portraits,  Naval  and  MiHtary  views,  etc.,  re- 
lating to  Napoleon  I  and  his  Times,  1 769-1 821. 
Formed  by  A.  M.  Broadley.     1905. 

Catalogue  of  the  Royal  United  Service  Museum. 
1 9 14.  (Not  only  a  catalogue  but  a  reference  book 
containing  much  useful  information  on  military 
curios.) 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 


335 


Clifford,   W.   G.     The  British    Army.     (The   "Peeps" 

Series.)     1915. 
Cope  Cornford,  L.     The  Black  Watch  :  the  Story  of  the 

Regiment.     (Wayfarers'  Library.)     191 5. 
De  Lacy  Lacy,  C.     The  History  of  the  Spur.     (Issued 

by  The  Connoisseur^ 
FoRTESCUE.     A  History  of  the  British  Army.     1899. 
Freeth,  Frank.    Some  Old  English  Delft  Dishes.    Article 

in  The  Con?ioisseur^  vol.  iii.  p.  148. 
Grose.     Military  Antiquities,  1801.     (Though  some  of  the 

information  contained  in  this  volume  has  been  dis- 
credited, the   work  is,  none  the   less,  one  that  the 

student  should  carefully  note.) 
HoDGKiN,    John    E.     Rariora   collected  between    1858- 

1900.       3    vols.      (Published     by     Sampson,     Low, 

Marston.) 
Hood,  George.     Famous  Fighting  Regiments. 
Johnson,    Stanley    C.       Saturday    with    My    Camera. 

(Chapter  XXXHI,  which  deals  with  the  photography 

of  curios  such  as  medals,  brasses,  etc.) 
King  Albert's  Book.     A  Tribute  to  the  Belgian  King 

and    People    from    representative   men    and   women 

throughout  the  World.    Hodder  and  Stoughton.    1914. 

Price  3s. 
LiLLiNGSTON,  LEONARD  W.     The  Art  of  Extra-Illustration. 

Article  in  The  Connoisseur,  vol.  iv.  p.  272. 
LiLLiNGSTON,  LEONARD  W.     The  Catnach  Press.     Article 

in  The  Connoisseur^  vol.  iii.  p.  180. 
LuMSDEN,  Sir  P.     Lumsden  of  the  Guides.     (Publisher, 

Mr.  Murray.) 
Morris  and  Jordan.     An  Introduction  to  the  Study  of 

Local  History  and  Antiquities.     19 10. 
Nelson,  Philip,  Dr.    The  Copper  Coinage  of  Ireland. 

1905. 
Nelson,   Philip,  Dr.      The    Obsidional    Money  of  the 

Rebellion.     1907. 


336       CHATS  ON  MILITARY  CURIOS 


Scott,  S.     The  British   Army:  its  Origin,  Progress,  and 

Equipment,     i860. 
Smith,  Sir  Harry,   The  Autobiography  of.     (Publisher, 

Mr.  Murray.) 
WiLLOUGHBY,  LEONARD.     Naworth  Castle.     (An  Account 

of  the  Military  Curios  of  the  Castle.)    Article  in  The 

Country  Homey  vol.  vi.  p.  iii. 
WiLLSON,   Beckles.      Portraits  and    Relics    of    General 

Wolfe.     Article  in  The  Connoisseur^  vol.  xxiii.  p.  3. 


1 


INDEX 


^ 


INDEX 


Ab3rssinian  medal,  155 

Airey's  Balaklava  notes,  232-3 

American  War,  use  of  nfles  in,  97 

Armour,  321 

Armour,  decline  of,  56 

Armour,  drawbacks  in    collecting, 

72 
Armour,  effects  of,  on  swords,  icx) 
Armour,  forged,  72-3 
Armour,  glossary  of  terms,  82-7 
Armour,  periods  in,  74 
Army  List,  309 
Army  Post  Office  Corps,  247,  248- 

51 

Autographs  of  noted  soldiers,  235 
Autographs,  the  care  of,  234 
Autographs,  the  price  of,  236-9 
Autographs,  the  value  of,  224 
Ashantis,  King  of,  execution  bowl, 

311-12 
Assignats,  264 

Badges,  19-20 

Badges,  mottoes  on,  48-51 

Badges,  mounting  and  preserving, 

45 
Badges,  special  distinctions  borne  by, 

46-7 
Balaklava  notes,  232-3 
Baltic  medal,  154 
Bargains  advertised  in  newspapers, 

21 
Bargains  in  armour,  71 
Battlefield  souvenirs,  25,  301-4 
Battle  honours,  45 
Battle  of  Boyne,  medallion,  187 
Bayeux  tapestry,  98 
Bayonet,  19 
Beeston  siege  money,  270 


Bengasi  stamps,  256 

"  Best-shot  "  medal,  175 

"  Black  Marias,"  301 

Black  Prince,  statue  of,  322 

Blenheim,  medallion,  i88 

BlUcher,  saddle  used  by,  307 

Blue  uniforms,  65 

Bone    objects   made  by  prisoners, 

290-3 
Books     containing     fine    military 

prints,  201-3 
Book  which  saved  soldier's  life,  303 
Brass,  oldest  English,  215 
British  Museum,  26,  185,  198,  322 
Bunbury,  203-4 
Burmah  medal,  140 
Buttons,  19 

Camail  armour,  80 

Camoys,    Thomas    and    Elizabeth, 

brass  to  the  memory  of,  219 
Carlisle  siege  money,  268 
Cavalier's  dress,  60 
Ceylon  medal,  122 
Chain-mail  period,  76 
Chain-mail  reinforced,  76 
Cheynie,    Humfrie,    brass    to    the 

memory  of,  219 
China  medal,  140 
Chocolate  box,  309 
Colchester  siege  money,  270 
Colours,  regimental,  304 
Commonwealth,  dress  of,6o 
Copenhagen  National  Museum,  74 
Coronation  medal,  179 
Crimea  medal,  154 
Crimea  War,  98,  244 
Cromwell  and  medals,  114 
Cromwell,  letter  written  by,  225 
18  338 


340 


INDEX 


Culloden  medal,  115 
Culverins,  95-6 

Curios  of  the  Great  War  enumer- 
ated, 312-5 
Cyclas  period,  79 

D'Abernon,    Sir    John,    brass     to 

memory  of,  215 
Dartmoor,  prisoners  at,  295 
Deccan  medal,  119 
Decorations,  the  need  for  special, 

165 
Detecting  forged  armour,  73 
Dettingen  medallion,  193 
Distinguished  Conduct  in  the  Field 

decoration,  169,  173 
Distinguished  Service  Order,  170 
Documents,  official,  310 
Dorchester,  Lord,  letter  written  by, 

230 
Dress,  306 
Dunbar  medal,  114 
Dunblane  medallion,  190 

Early  medallions,  184 

Edge  Hill,  Battle  of,  in 

Egyptian  medal,  127-8 

Egypt,  military  post  office  in,  247-8 

Enfield-Martini  rifles,  98 

Enfield  rifles,  98 

Epernay  paper  money,  263 

Fall  of  James  II,  medallion,  187 
Ffelbrygge,  Sir  Symon,  brass  to  the 

memory  of,  219 
Flash,  66 

Fleurs-de-lys  on  tunics,  66 
Flint-lock,  92,  96 
Floor  brasses,  211-3 
Forged  armour,  72-3 
Forlorn-hope  medal,  112 
Francis     II     of    Germany,    medal 

awarded  by,  121 


Ghuznee  medal,  22,  142 
Gillray,  203-5 

Glossary  of  terms  in  armour,  82-7 
Gloucester  Regiment,  double  badge 

worn  by,  66 
Grangerizing,  319 
Grape-shot  from  Capri,  303 
Great  Rebellion,  money  of,  264 
Greenland  Valleyfield,  prisoners  at> 

295 
Green  uniforms,  65 
Guidons,  303 
Gun  money,  274 
Gun  used  in  Mafeking,  304 

Hackles  worn  by  Northumberland 

Fusiliers,  66 
Half-armour  period,  82 
Helmets,  301-2 
Holographs,  226 

Hougomont,  portion  of  gate  of,  303 
Household  Cavalry,  uniform  of,  64 
Hyderabad  medal,  144 

I.E.F.  stamps,  254 

Indian  General  Service  medal,  150 

Indian  Mutiny  medal,  1 54 

Indian  postal  arrangements  on  active 

service,  254-6 
Industrial  Museum,  Vienna,  74 
Interned  soldiers  in  Holland,  289 
Irish  siege  money,  273 

Java  medal,  129 
Jellalabad  medal,  142-3 
Jubilee  medal,  179 
Julius  Caesar  medallion,  186 
Jupon  period  in  armour,  80 

Kruger  rifle,  92 

Lee-Enfield  rifles,  98 
Lee-Metford  rifles,  98 
Lille,  surrender  of,  medallion, 
Liverpool,  prisoners  at,  295 


I 

I 


INDEX 


341 


Long  Service  medal,  174 
Lost- wax  process,  183 
Lucknow  medals,  20,  155 

Mafeking,  gun  used  in,  304 

Mafeking  paper  money,  264 

Mafeking  stamps,  251 

Maida  medal,  130 

Martini-Henri  rifles,  90 

Mary's,    Princess,  Christmas    box, 

310 
Match-lock,  95-6 
Mauritius  medal,  128 
Maximilian  armour,  81 
Medallists,  184-5 
Medal,  the  first  British,  1 1 1 
Medals,  growth  in  awarding  of,  in 
Medals,  care  of,  108 
Medals,  recent  campaign,  156-61 
Meeanee  medal,  144 
Meritorious  Service  decoration,  173 
Military  Cross,  179 
Militia,  badges  of  the,  42 
Militia  medal,  179 
Minie  rifles,  98 

Moore,  Sir  John,  the  sash  of,  307 
Mottoes  on  badges,  48-51 
Mural  tablets,  220 
Musee  d'Artillerie,  Paris,  26,  74 
Musket,  97 
Mysore  medal,  119 

Napoleon    III,   letter  written  by, 

231 
Napoleonic  prisoners,  290 
Napoleonic    wars,      influence     on 

uniforms  of,  62 
Naseby,  letter  referring  to  the  Battle 

of,  225 
National  Museum,  Copenhagen,  26 
Nepaul  medal,  130 
Newark  siege  money,  270 
Newspapers      containing     military 

dispatches,  307 


New  Zealand  medal,  155 

Norman  armour,  76 

Norman  Cross,  prisoners  at,  290 

Obsidional  money,  264 

Order  of  Merit,  169 

Ordinance,     the     first,     regulating 

uniforms,  55 
Oudenarde  medallion,  189 

Palimpsests,  214 

"Par  Ballon  Monte"  correspon- 
dence, 256 

Peninsular  medal,  131,  148,  149, 
185 

Peninsular  War,  influence  on 
uniforms,  62 

Perth,  prisoners  at,  293 

Poona  medal,  119 

Pope  Pius  VI,  medal  awarded  by, 
121 

Post-marks,  224,  252 

Post  Office  Volunteers,  247 

Precedence  in  the  Army,  42 

Prempeh,    umbrella  belonging  to, 

307 
Pre-Norman  armour,  76 
Punjab  medal,  150 

Rag  Fair,  20 

Ramilies  medallion,  189 

Recruiting  notice,  308 

Regimental  collecting,  22 

Regimental  colours,  304 

Regular  Army,  badges  of,  42 

Restoring  autographs,  234 

Rifles,  19 

Rifle-corps  uniform,  63 

Rifles,  inventor  of,  97 

Rijks  Museum,  Amsterdam,  26,  74 

Rotunda,  Woolwich,  25,  74 

Royal  Army  Medical  Corps,  badge 

of,  47 
Royal  Fusiliers  uniform,  61 


342 


INDEX 


Royal  United  Service  Museum,  25, 
74,  185,  226,  303,  304,  306,  310, 
311 

■Rubbings,  how  to  make,  21 1-3 

5t.  George,  red  cross  on  uniforms,  56 
Salamanca,  Battle  of,  305 
Scarborough  siege  money,  270 
Schomberg,  letter  by,  229 
Scinde  medal,  143 
Seaforth  Highlanders,  badge  of,  47 
Sedan,  letter  referring  to  the  Battle 

of,  231 
•Seringapatam  medal,  125-7 
Serpentin,  95 
Simon,  the  medallist,  185 
Snider  rifles,  98 
South  African  medal,  152 
South  African  War,  220,  248 
South  Kensington  Museum,  198 
Spanish  War,  stamps  of  the,  256-9 
Stamps  used  in  Crimean  War,  244 
Stapleton,  prisoners  at,  295 
Storing  weapons,  92 
Straw-plait  made  by  prisoners,  296 
Studded  and  splintered  armour,  79 
Sudan  campaign,  248 
Surcoatless  period  armour,  80 
Surrender  of  Lille,   medallion,  190 
Sutlej  medal,  147 
Swords,  92,  98,  103 
Swords,  historic,  103 

Tabard  period  in  armour,  80 

Talavera,  Battle  of,  305 

Taxis,   Johann  von,    letter-carrier, 

243 
Tel-el-Kebir    railway    name  plate, 

303 
Territorial  Army,  badges  of  the,  42 
Territorial  medals,  179 


Thame,  brass  at,  2l6 
Ticehurst,  brass  at,  214 
Tippo  Sahib,  dress  worn  by,  306 
Tower  of  London,  25,  73-4 
Transition  period  in  armour,  81 
Tripoli  di  Barberia  stamps,  256 

Uniforms,  blue,  65 

Uniforms,  green,  65 

Uniforms,  influence  of  Ann  on,  61  ; 
of  Charles  II,  60 ;  of  Elizabeth, 
59 ;  of  George  III,  62  ;  of 
George  IV,  63 ;  of  James  II, 
60  ;  of  Queen  Victoria,  64 ;  of 
William  IV,  64 

Uniforms,  earliest,  55-6 

Victoria  Cross,  166-8 
Volunteer  decorations,  175-7 
Volunteer  Force,  badges  of  the,  42 
V.R.I,  stamps,  251 

Wadham,  Nicholas  and  Dorothy, 
brass  to  memory  of,  219 

Wadi  Haifa  Post  Office,  248 

Wallace  Collection,  25,  74 

War  stamps,  recent,  253 

Waterloo,  22,  303,  309 

Waterloo,  bayonet  used  at,  92 

Waterloo  medal,  138 

Waterperry,  brass  at,  214 

Wheel-locks,  96 

William  and  Mary  re-valued  the 
gun  money,  281 

Wiltshire  Regiment  badge,  45 

Wolfe,  bullet  which  killed,  303 

Wyon's  medallions,  185 

Yeomanry  decorations,  179 

Young  Pretender's  defeat, 

lion  commemorating  the. 


UNWIN  BROTHERS,  HMFTED,  THE  GRESHAM  PRESS,  WOKING  AND  LONDON 


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days  prior  to  due  date. 


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